


Cora: The Maiden with Eyes of Blue

by TheSingingSword



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga), Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Card Games, Dragons, Duel Monsters, Duelling, F/F, Fantasy, Knights - Freeform, LGBTQ Female Character, Magic, Magic School, Politics, Racism, Romance, Swords & Sorcery, there will be duels
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2020-10-13 10:17:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 36
Words: 259,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20580884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSingingSword/pseuds/TheSingingSword
Summary: An unlikely heir joins the ranks of House Kaiba. She will now have to prove herself to her ruthless father and show him, and the world, that she's worthy to wear the crown and control the most fearsome creature in the world of Duel Monsters. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon.





	1. Cora

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Yu-Gi-Oh. The characters all belong to Mr. Kazuki Takahashi. However, the OC's and the fantasy world in which they live are of my creation. Original monsters created by me will be bolded.**

* * *

* * *

**Kaiba**

* * *

"A drive. All I need is a drive."

Seto Kaiba gripped the steering wheel of his black luxury car, twisting left and right on the tough country roads of Eredas. He had just attended the annual Duel Monsters Dragon Duel Championship Tournament, an event that was catered to young duelists ages of twelve and under.

The roar of the crowd was still ringing in his ears as was the confident screaming of the young duelists. The games took place alongside the World Championship tournament in the other arena two blocks away, but Kaiba felt he wanted to see the next generation of the world's greatest duelists.

No doubt he was impressed with the youngsters, but he felt they were not good enough to use the three special cards he kept in the briefcase. Deep down, Kaiba felt like all the kids in the arena reminded him of Yugi.

He ground his teeth, pressing down the gas pedal with all his might until the car's engine roared, rushing down the dark road.

"_There are wild Niwatori chickens here_," said his sassy-voiced AI from the computer screen on the dashboard. "_You might want to slow down unless you wish to be wrecked in the back-end of nowhere_."

"I'll be fine," Kaiba said, racing down the road.

The trees, illuminated by the powerful LED headlights, reached out for him from the night like bony arms of the undead.

"_Would you care for some music_?"

"No thanks," said Kaiba. "I need a coffee, not music."

"_Well, GPS says there's a small town just up this road. There's a diner there; see that you eat something. You haven't had a bite since leaving the games in Domino four days ago. Speaking of which have you found the duelist you deem 'worthy' to use those three cards_?"

"No," Kaiba answered, he peered down at his briefcase sitting on the passenger seat beside him.

"_So, you brought us all the way out here for nothing?" _asked the AI_. "At least one of those kids should have qualified. Some dueled better than you_."

"Don't make me laugh," Kaiba retorted after a loud scoff. "They were good, but they're not what I'm looking for."

"_Whatever you say, old boy_."

Kaiba drove over a hill and saw the street lights of a small country town below. His engines roared as he floored it to the town. There was a little diner next to a gentle river where couples sat together on the banks to gaze at the glowing flowers in the water. On the diner's window, a neon sign depicting a Kuriboh pouring coffee into a mug.

He found a parking space next to some country folk who were looking at him as though he came from another planet. He was rather out of place, well dressed in a black suit, shirt and tie, and his car was the only one in the parking lot worth a million golden Star Chips.

"Duh hell is dat?" a trucker asked his friend.

"That there is a Reyner Night Dragon!" exclaimed a pretty country girl as Kaiba got out of the car. "That boy there must be one o' dem city folk from Domino."

Kaiba made a sour face as his nose picked up the sweet smell of donuts from the diner mixed with the noxious stench of engine oil from the auto repair shop next to it. He even picked up the smell of tobacco from some youngsters in their football jerseys flirting with their cheerleader girlfriends as they sat around a black hotrod with flame decals under the glow of the street lamp listening to heavy metal.

Country music played from the rusty intercoms throughout the town which was called Eastwood.

"Wow!" said a kid, who skateboarded towards Kaiba. "Nice car!"

"Isn't it?" Kaiba said pretentiously, slamming the door which locked automatically. His fingerprints were the keys to unlocking the car so he didn't have to worry about anyone stealing it from him.

He tossed a Star Chip at the kid.

"See that no one gets near it," Kaiba said, walking to the door of the diner carrying his metal briefcase.

"Wow, this will buy me a pack of cards!" exclaimed the child. "Gee thanks!"

Kaiba walked inside. Now he was blessed with the sweet smell of coffee and a cherry pie cooking in the oven in the kitchen behind the counter made of glossy tile. The top three rows had a black and white checkered pattern.

The floor also in black and white tile. The lit-up menu above was outlined with three rows of baby blue neon lights streaking over the board.

A sappy country love song played from the jukebox near the entrance. The fluorescent lights hanging above made Kaiba drowsy, and the metal tables reflected their light awfully almost blinding him.

"Welcome, youngster!" said a chubby waitress wearing a yellow uniform and a frilly white apron stained with flour and coffee.

She wore a lot of makeup on her face. Her eyes completely darkened by blue eye shadow. Her puffy cheeks coated with way too much blush and powder, and her lips ridiculously red. She had fizzy curled orange hair underneath her cap and she was obnoxiously chewing gum like a cow with cud in its mouth.

Kaiba still kept the trademark scowl on his face as he ignored her friendly welcome. He sat down on a red stool in front of the counter. He took a napkin from one of the steel holders and wiped away sticky coffee stains and donut powder before setting down his arms, regally covered by the sleeves of his four thousand Star Chip, suit on the white surface.

He put his briefcase down next to his right leg.

"What'll it be handsome?" the waitress asked with a flirty wink. She pulled a pencil from behind her ear and tapped it on a notepad she had tucked in her apron's pocket.

"Just a coffee, thanks, and make it quick."

"One Cup O' Joe comin' up," she said. "Yer not from around here are ya, suga?"

"No. Thank heavens."

The woman smirked, oblivious to his snobbish remark.

"Well judgin' from them silky clothes and that fancy set o' wheels ya got out there, I'd say you were from Domino."

"So what if I am?" Kaiba retorted.

"Ya ever see that cutie-pie Prince Michael?" she asked. "Oh, that boy makes me hotter than a sidewalk in the summer."

"I've never set foot into the House of Gray," said Kaiba. "And just so you know, I'm not here to talk. Get me my coffee so I can hit the road."

"Whatever you say, hon. If yer ever feelin' lonely out there on the road, I'd be willin' to come along and keep ya company."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at her and growled. The woman giggled again and went into the kitchen.

Kaiba sighed. Maybe coming here was a mistake.

As he waited for his drink, he reached into his pocket to pull out his dueling deck. His ace monster, The Blue-Eyes White Dragon, was at the front. Its golden letters shimmered in the dull light of the lamps in the ceiling. He used his wrist to lightly move his deck back and forth to make the holographic foil shine in all the colors of the rainbow.

** _This legendary dragon is a powerful engine of destruction. Virtually invincible, very few have faced this awesome creature and live to tell the tale._ **

_So then why haven't I been able to defeat Yugi with it? Kaiba thought. Back when I first dueled him, I had all three of these mighty beasts staring him down in the face, and he managed to beat me with his Exodia._

_Then, in my Battle City Tournament, an event that **I** was supposed to win, I had them merged into the greatest dragon of all time: The Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, but yet, he still found a way to destroy it and costing me the duel. A year later, I had him face the awesome power of my Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon and he still overcame my god-like monster and defeated me! Am I just not worthy to hold this mighty beast? No! They are drawn to me! They have approved of me since the day I held them. But despite being in their favor, why do I always lose!_

Kaiba had been wandering Termnnia for almost a year now, searching for another Duelist that had the potential to use Blue-Eyes White Dragon. He would keep the original cards for himself, but he had three more painted in a glorious alternate art (**Dark Side of Dimensions** artwork) and reserved them for the Duelist he deemed fit to carry the dragon.

He had been to countless tournaments and granted talented players the opportunity to give the Blue-Eyes a shot, but the dragons always fought them back, refusing to listen to them. He even thought that his little brother, Mokuba, could wield them, but they almost killed him when he summoned them.

"You are a picky bunch," said Kaiba. "Despite all the losses to Yugi, you still stand by my side. _The Heart of the Cards_. Could Yugi be right?"

The bell over the door of the diner jingled.

Kaiba turned his head and saw a young girl enter the diner.

She was dirty from head to toe. Her long brown hair was greasy and unkempt, tucked under a black beanie. She wore a dirty green parka with a white tank top underneath with a splattered heart logo, and baggy, dark denim cargo pants that fell so low past her hips Kaiba could make out the white waistband of her pink underwear.

She had a black messenger bag over her shoulder to carry her belongings, which could be heard jingling and smashing around. A shiny platinum necklace crafted in the shape of an angelic Stardust Dragon's wing swung over her chest. It twinkled with each step she made. Her eyes were bright blue and shielded by her messy bangs.

Kaiba suddenly gasped.

He thought his ears were deceiving him, but he could swear to the divines that his Blue-Eyes White Dragon just roared as the girl walked to the counter timidly.

"What can I do for you, sweetie?" the waitress asked.

"How much for a slice of pie?" the girl asked, pointing at the pastry inside the glass display.

"Six Star Chips," the waitress replied immediately.

The girl bit her bottom lip and blushed.

She reached into her pockets for money. The girl gingerly placed on the counter one gold Star Chip, two copper pennies, and a silver coin.

Kaiba then noticed light coming out of his briefcase. The roar of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon thundered in his brain again. For her!

_You can't be serious!_ Kaiba thought. _You'd choose her of all the Duelists we've seen! She can't even afford a pack of starter monsters!_

"That's all I have," the girl whimpered, counting up her money. "Please. Help me."

The waitress smiled. It was against policy to help those with no money, but she couldn't let the poor child go hungry.

"I'll go warm you up a glass of milk, sweetie," the waitress said sympathetically.

"I'll pay for the pie," said Kaiba.

* * *

The girl sat across from Kaiba at their table by the window, eating her pie noisily. Her greasy bangs waved over her plate, disgusting him. He spotted a bit of crust that hung from the corner of her mouth.

"Ahem," said Kaiba. He rubbed his finger on his chin, gesturing the girl to clean it off.

She gasped, feeling rather embarrassed by the mess she was making.

"So, what's your name?" Kaiba asked.

"Cora," the girl replied softly, still digging through the pie with her fork. She took a sip of milk.

"Hmm." Kaiba leaned back in his seat. "Where are you from, Cora?"

Cora sniffed. "Don't know, don't care."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. He found her response awfully rude. "And your parents?" he asked.

"I don't give a crap," she replied angrily, finally looking up at him.

"I see," said Kaiba. "So, Cora, what are you doing all the way out here? And alone?"

"Hoping," Cora replied shoving more pie into her mouth. "Hoping for a miracle." She swallowed the pie and took her last gulp of milk.

"Want more?" Kaiba asked.

"No, that's okay," Cora said, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "I've been wandering Eredas for over two years now. You're the first good thing that's happened to me. I never had someone buy me a slice of pie before."

"How did you manage to survive?"

"I won a little Duel Monsters tournament a while back. It wasn't anything major, just a prize of one gold coin and ten silvers at a card shop. I scrounged about for cards that nobody wanted, hell, I even used my looks to snatch a few away from the nerds attending the event. Anyways, I won the cash and it's held me up this long. Now, I'm broke. I hope to enter the grand tournament like Battle City and win big. Maybe even have a career as a professional Duelist in Domino."

"Can I see your deck?" Kaiba asked, holding out his hand.

"It's nothing too spectacular," Cora said, reaching into her pocket. She handed Kaiba her cards. The deck was held together by an old rubber band.

The cards! They were bent, creased horribly, their edges even peeling off. The vanilla surface the normal monsters once had now turned into a shade of chewing tobacco.

Kaiba flipped through the deck.

_Torike, Larvas, Petit Dragon, Bone Mouse, Key Mace? _Her strongest card was a Hyozanryu (**ATK/2100 DEF/2800**) in secret rare foil, kept safe in a black sleeve. Still, Kaiba was displeased.

"What is this!" he said tossing the cards at the table. "And you call yourself a Duelist?"

"Well what were you expecting?" snapped Cora. "I had to scrounge about for cards that nobody wanted. And besides cards are expensive. I'll have to sell myself just to get the right card."

"What is that around your neck?" Kaiba asked, referring to the glass sleeve laying underneath the angel wing necklace. He could see the back design of a Duel Monster card.

"I…I can't."

"Why not?"

"This card is special."

"Show me."

Cora sighed heavily in defeat. "If you insist. But I want it back."

She opened the glass case with her thumb and took the card out. She stared at it before handing it to Kaiba.

"Ugh!" Kaiba gasped.

_Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon!_

"Where did you get this?!" Kaiba demanded.

"I-I don't know," Cora babbled in fright.

Kaiba's narrow eyes widened terribly as his calm demeanor drastically changed to fury.

"You lie! The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is a rare monster. Just to have any card supporting him is impossible. Tell me where you got this card. Explain yourself!"

"If you must know, I was wandering the road like I always do, and then these jerks surround me. They…wanted to do things to me if you know what I mean. Well, I ran into the forest by the road and hid in a cave. They spotted me and ran for me ready for the kill when all of a sudden, this powerful roar echoes across the forest and sends the bastards running away. The next thing I knew I turned around and saw this card glowing right beside me. My pendant was glowing as well."

"That necklace wouldn't be a totem of the dragon goddess, would it?"

"Saafani? Yes, it is. I pray to her every day, hoping she would send me some sort of blessing. I guess this card was it. But that's impossible, right? She doesn't favor anyone with her dragons anymore except for that Dragon Summoner girl, walking around in fairy tale land."

Cora was referring to the Western Lands where the people still used horses, had knights and lived in castles.

"That's all I needed to know," said Kaiba. "Come home with me."

"And why would I do that."

"I can help you."

"Oh sure," Cora scoffed, slouching in her seat and resting her right arm on the top of the booth. "And I suppose you have a trove of rare cards sitting around?"

She puffed air from the corner of her mouth to blow a bang off her right eye.

Kaiba was offended by her tone. He growled, picked up his briefcase, and slammed it on the table after clearing the plates and cups away with his other arm. He undid the locks and slid it around so it could face Cora before he opened it.

What Cora saw caused her mouth to fall wide open.

She saw deck after deck full of rare and powerful Duel Monster cards ranging from ultra-rare, secret-rare and even ghost-rare. Their holographic foil shining brightly in the dull light of the lamp over their booth.

"Satisfied?" Kaiba snapped.

"Who are you?" Cora asked.

"Your salvation!"

Kaiba paid for the meal, and after using the bathroom, Cora followed him into his car. Kaiba unlocked the door for her and she got in. Once Kaiba got into the driver's seat he sniffed the air and his face creased with unpleasantness. Something smelled of corn chips and the outdoors. He looked at the girl.

"What?" Cora asked.

"How long has it been since you showered?"

"You don't wanna know," Cora said with no shame. She put on her seatbelt.

"We're going to fix that when we get home," Kaiba said displeased, he rolled down the windows so her stench could fly out as he drove.

He drove her across the countryside back to the glimmering lights of Domino City, the capital city of Eredas. Cora pressed her hands against the window to gaze at the marvelous structures and lights all around her. The inside of their car flashing bright orange every time Kaiba drove under the street lamps lining the highway.

"First time in Domino?" Kaiba asked.

"First time inside the wall," answered Cora.

Kaiba proceeded onward into the city until he reached a spiraled black tower with the Kaiba Corp logo up top in bright white.

"You work for Kaiba Corp?" Cora asked.

"I own it actually," Kaiba said.

"Seto Kaiba owns Kaiba Corp," scoffed Cora.

"Nice to meet you," Kaiba said turning off the car.

Cora's eyes widened.

"You're not Seto Kaiba."

Kaiba held out his deck showing her the card at the bottom.

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon? You're Seto Kaiba?"

"What, have you been living under a rock?"

"Actually, I was," said Cora.

"Come on," said Kaiba.

He took her inside the building through sliding glass doors.

"Wow!" Cora exclaimed. Her voice echoed in the atrium decorated with organic environments and waterfalls lit up from behind pouring down into streams next to the black marble staircases.

A limestone statue of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon on a marble pedestal guarded the entrance, lit up by four lamps on the corners of the pedestal.

Massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Their crystal décor glistening in their warm golden light.

"Oh my…" Cora covered her wide-open mouth with her hands.

"Mr. Kaiba," said a man with pointy hair and sunglasses. He bowed. "Mokuba is eager to see you upstairs. I see you've brought a guest."

"Yeah, good observation," Kaiba retorted pretentiously. "See her to the medical wing at once."

Cora looked up at Kaiba sternly. "Huh? What for?"

"You've been out in the road for way too long," answered Kaiba. "We've got to make sure you didn't bring anything that would contaminate my building. Follow Kemo to the medical wing. Now."

"Right this way, Madame," Kemo said, putting his hand on Cora's back and leading her to another elevator while Kaiba proceeded to take the main one to his living quarters upstairs on the top floors.

At the medical bay, Cora was ordered by the doctor to undress and she was given a thorough check-up. Her hair was checked for lice or any other parasite from the roads she had traveled for so long. She was injected with all sorts of vaccines and had to undergo an awkward cavity search by a tower security guard.

She was given a clean bill of health and followed Kemo upstairs where Kaiba was waiting.

"Did all go well?" Kemo asked as they rode a glass elevator to the top floors. The glass gave them an exquisite view of Domino City as they headed up.

"The guy with the rubber glove enjoyed his job a little too well," Cora said, massaging her bottom. "So, what do you do around here, Kemo?"

"I mostly provide security here in Kaiba Tower," Kemo answered. "I sometimes announce the tournaments Mr. Kaiba organizes. I do a pretty good job if I do say so myself."

"Oh, do you?"

"Yes, in fact, High Chancellor Pegasus has a tournament coming up in his island. He's asked me to be the announcer of the games as well as head of security. I'm a little nervous, though. Pegasus's tournaments are reserved for the elite of the elite. Only one percent of Termnnia's duelists are chosen to participate in his games."

"I'm sure it can't be that bad," said Cora.

"I have a speech all set up," said Kemo. "Would you like me to demonstrate?"

"Sure," Cora replied with a shrug.

Kemo cleared his throat. "ATTENTION DUELISTS!"

There was a long pause.

"Wait, hold on," he cleared his throat again. "ATTENTION DUELISTS!"

Another awkward pause.

"That's it?" Cora asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's all I got so far?" Kemo said embarrassingly while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, it'll certainly get their attention, no doubt about that."

The elevator came to a stop. The metal doors slid open elegantly, revealing a luxury suite with black painted walls outlined with gold leafy ornamentation and chandeliers of crystal. The polished marble floor was of black and gray tile and the furniture was top notch.

The windows, shielded behind clear white curtains revealed the towers of the city all around her. A fireplace more than seventeen feet wide was burning in the sitting room with a painting of Kaiba sitting atop a dragon-shaped chair with his brother Mokuba standing proudly beside him in front of a black background.

Speaking of which, Mokuba had arrived, coming down a set of stairs in a white t-shirt and torn jeans.

"What's the meaning of this!" shouted Mokuba. "These levels are reserved for me and Seto only!"

"Calm down, kid," said Cora.

"I'm sorry Mr. Kaiba," Kemo babbled nervously. "I just…"

"You're fired!" shouted Mokuba. "And take this peasant back where she belongs."

"Peasant!" Cora retorted. "Why you..."

"She's with me," Kaiba said calmly approaching them from his office. "You're free to go, Kemo."

Kemo bowed. "Thank you, sir. Best of luck to you Madame Cora."

Cora shook hands with him. "Thanks, Kemo. And good luck with that speech."

"Ahem, right," Kemo said walking back to the elevator. "Attention Duelists!" he rehearsed as the doors closed taking him back down.

"Walk this way," said Kaiba.

"You sure about this bro?" Mokuba asked. "She could be a thief after your Blue-Eyes."

"She's no thief," said Seto. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Safaani help her if she is."

He led Cora to a two-floored suite upstairs.

"This is where you'll be staying," Kaiba said, letting Cora enter the room first. "You've got a large bed to yourself upstairs. A kitchen if you can cook. If you can't you can always dial room service downstairs. There's a bathroom just past the fountain in the hall. It's got a walk-in shower with a flat screen on the wall. And a touch screen panel to adjust the settings of the water. A jacuzzi as well."

Cora went everywhere, exploring her new home. There were water walls in the hallway to her room which had a panoramic view of the city and an aquarium with a variety of Termnnian tropical fish.

"I still don't like this bro," Mokuba said, crossing his arms furiously. "What makes her so darn special?"

"She may be the one I'm looking for," said Kaiba. "Leave us,"

"But…Zorc and Pals is on, bro," Mokuba said referring to the comedic show making fun of the greatest evil to walk the earth in the ancient times.

"I'll be right there," said Kaiba. "Our cartoon can wait."

"All right then, but just so you know, I'm gonna keep my eye on her!" He darted out of Cora's new bedroom.

Kaiba smirked and walked towards a window with his arms behind his back.

"Don't mind him," he said staring at the tri-towers of the House of Gray, the castle where the Dalton Royal Family lived, shining brightly in the distance. "He never likes it when my attention is drawn to someone other than him. I expect a great deal from you, Cora," he turned to look at her and gasped.

Cora was in her underwear crawling sensuously on her bed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Kaiba shouted.

Cora flinched and whimpered with fright. "Are-aren't you going to fuck me?" she asked timidly.

"What kind of low-life do you think I am?" Kaiba shouted again, stomping his foot on the ground.

"I'm sorry," Cora said, putting her shirt back on. Her necklace jingled. "It's just that…no one has ever granted me favors unless it meant me having to put out."

"How dare you?" Kaiba said through gritted teeth. "I am not those thugs you encounter on the roads. I brought you here to be comfortable because apparently, my Blue-Eyes see something in you."

Cora tilted her head to the left. "Your Blue-Eyes? What do you mean?"

Kaiba took a deep breath to calm himself down. "The moment you walked into the diner, they reacted in a way I haven't seen since I first laid eyes on them."

"So what are you saying?" Cora asked.

Kaiba had to dig deep in order to say what he had to say. He took a long, hard, breath and said: "I'm going to let you use the Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

Cora slumped on the bed. "What? Me?"

"And I plan to test out your skills at Duelist Academy."

"The School of Kings?" Cora gasped. "I would've given my legs just to go there."

"Well you're not going have to do that," Kaiba said, calming down. "I'm paying for your education."

Cora's lips trembled. She hopped out of bed and hugged Kaiba.

"Urk!" Kaiba grunted.

"No one has ever been this kind to me before." Cora nuzzled his chest. "How can I ever repay you?"

"You can start by putting your pants back on."

"Oops," Cora said letting go of Kaiba and backing off. She tugged her shirt down to cover her underwear. Her cheeks flushing red. "Sorry."

Kaiba held up a rigid finger. "But I'm not going to just give you all of this! You're going to have to prove to me that you are worthy of living under my roof and using my Blue-Eyes. You need to work hard as a Duelist and excel in school, for if you don't it's back to the road with you."

"I won't let you down…dad."

Kaiba glared at her.

"We'll see," he said brushing himself off in the spot where Cora hugged him. "You best clean yourself up and get that stench off you. If you need anything use the tablet on your nightstand. My associates will be quick to get you what you need. And if you should require me, I'll be in my office, working."

"I don't have a phone, Seto."

Kaiba tossed her one from his pocket.

"Isn't this yours?"

"One of my spares," Kaiba answered. "Never really used it. It's yours now. And remember, I'm just a few floors down if you need anything."

"Yes, sir."

Cora watched as Kaiba left her room. She then went to the bathroom to clean herself up, though she spent a great deal of time in there having fun with the control panel on the wall making the water come out in different jets and even lighting up in the colors of the rainbow.

When Cora was done, she came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a white towel. Steam hissed out of the bathroom door behind her. Mokuba suddenly came into her room carrying packages.

"Uh, you realize I'm naked, right?" Cora asked.

"No, you're not," sneered Mokuba. "I've seen some women come into our Kaiba Corp banquets wearing dresses that make you look fully covered by comparison."

"What's all that you're carrying?" Cora asked.

"Courtesy of Ms. Goldwine, our secretary," Mokuba said. "She's taken a liking to you, and has asked permission to join you at the school."

"Seto's not going?" Cora asked, gripping her towel.

"He is, but he's a professor of Dragonology and the CEO of the company, and- more importantly - my big brother, so he will be too busy for you. There should be some pajamas in there you can use for tonight."

"And what's with the black box with the gold ribbon?" Cora said, pointing at the parcel.

"That's your academy uniform," Mokuba boasted.

"Oh!" Cora exclaimed with excitement.

Cora went for the box, but Mokuba slapped her in the back of the hand to keep her away.

"Ow! What gives?"

"You need to earn that."

"How am I going to do that?"

Mokuba gave a cruel chuckle. "I don't know, but you can be sure it's not going to be easy. My brother is going to push you to the limit of your abilities. So, you'd better rest up. Good night, Cora."

"Good night, Mokuba," Cora called back.

"Yeah, whatever," Mokuba waved as he went out the door.

Cora smiled.

_Maybe he's not so bad after all._


	2. House Kaiba

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

Though her alarm was constantly wailing for the past thirty minutes, Cora was still sound asleep. Her hair was such a tattered mess, it made the fur of a Kuriboh look well kept. And she was drooling all over her pillow, her mouth wide open as she snored loudly.

The door to her room slid open. An Eldori woman walked into the room, using the special key card Seto had given her before he left earlier that morning. She was tall and blonde, wearing a crisp, white blouse that was unbuttoned over her chest, a black business skirt, and nine-inch heels. Her ID tag was clipped to her waist. The woman let out a soft giggle when she spotted Cora on her bed in a Kaiba Corp t-shirt, sleeping like an angel - a noisy slob of an angel.

She walked to the alarm and clicked it off. "Miss Cora," said the woman, lightly tapping her shoulder. "Miss Cora."

No answer. The woman chuckled softly and adjusted her black tortoise-shell glasses. "She's sound asleep," she whispered cheerfully.

Cora let out another snore and twitched. The woman walked to the window and opened the shades, letting in the sunlight. The bright rays burned Cora's skin and peered through her eyelids, almost blinding her.

She groaned in discomfort, then turned the other way as she yawned, pushing the covers over her head.

"Miss Cora!" the woman yelled, finally losing her patience.

Cora snorted and sat up. "Wha-who? Who are you?" she said dumbly.

"Miss Cora, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Barbara Goldwine. I am Seto Kaiba's secretary and your...guardian until he returns."

"Returns from what?" Cora asked, covering her legs with the covers.

Ms. Goldwine chuckled. "From work. And there's no need to be so modest, dear. We're both women, aren't we?"

Cora sniggered and brushed a bang off her face. "I guess, but the last thing I want right now is waking up to some random stranger looking at my ass."

"Ah, ah, ah!" Ms. Goldwine said, holding up her finger. "First and foremost, you are Mr. Kaiba's daughter now, and being so you will refrain from any foul language, am I understood?"

"If that is what you wish," Cora groaned.

"It's not just me who wishes to see you turned into a proper lady, Miss Cora. You're a Kaiba now, so you must act like it. The press is going to eat you alive and report any and all mistakes you will make. And now that you are to be enrolled in the School of Kings, you must act like royalty. Seto Kaiba is no king, but with all the wealth and power he has, he might as well be. House Dalton wears the crown, but all the technology and all the blessing and all the wealth that makes Eredas what it is now is Seto Kaiba. What you do will reflect on him. You make him look bad, and he will no doubt kick you out of his family. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Cora replied with a yawn. "Behave or get out. I got that."

"Good girl."

"Now, when can I Duel?"

Ms. Goldwine grinned. "We will get to that soon. But first, get out of bed, take off those rags, and take a shower at once. I have new clothes for you. As we speak they are on the way up. I will leave them here in your bedroom. Pick what you want and meet me downstairs in the atrium. I will take you out for breakfast" – she looked at her watch, hoping there was still time – "Hmm, make it brunch. Very well, I will take you out to brunch and I will discuss what is to be expected of you in this House. Make me happy, and we'll go find a deck for you. Mr. Kaiba gave me a blank check, so you are free to get as many cards as you like."

"Now we're talking!" Cora tossed the sheets off and jumped out of bed. She tended it as quickly as she could, and ran into the bathroom.

"Oh, that girl," Ms. Goldwine said, seeing her bed was still wrinkled and unkempt.

She neatened the sheets herself, pressing them hard until the wrinkles were gone. She heard the shower stall turn on. Cora started to sing in there. In Elvish! The girl knew how to not only speak Elvish, but she could sing in it as well. She noticed the door was left open by just a crack. Curiously, Ms. Goldwine approached it. Should she? She bit her bottom lip and held her breath, fighting the urge to look through the crack and take a peek. But the song was so beautiful. Cora's voice was luring her in like a Siren from the Storm Coasts.

She gently pushed the door open just a tad and took a peek. There she was! Cora was standing exposed outside the shower testing the water with her hand, still singing her Elvish melody. Ms. Goldwine watched with fascination as Cora played with the different water faucets in the shower and activating machines that launched bubbles into the air. When the water was just right, she walked inside and closed the drapes, still singing her song.

_ **Ala nune, miramare Saafani** _

_ **Sadi Nifene, sotari telfa gaarinar** _

_ **Lantuya fe lanu orine** _

_ **Mamar tannavia lumbole** _

_ **Saafani trexis nani nana Termnnia** _

_ **Suudarina Imbe Tatari nana** _

_ **Termnnia leva vivi nan** _

_ **El nani no tuul** _

_ **Varna to nol tatal naar** _

"Oh, my!" Ms. Goldwine whispered. "What a beautiful voice... And that body." She leaned against the door and pressed her hands against her chest listening to the song Cora was singing. "Be still, my heart. Get a grip on yourself, Barbara, get a grip. She's not for you. She's not for you."

The bell to the penthouse rang, snapping Ms. Goldwine out of her thoughts. She closed the door gently and ran to the main elevator where Keemo and a few ushers brought bag after bag and parcel after parcel of clothing she purchased for Cora.

Mokuba, eating a bowl of cornflakes on the table by the glass water wall, shook his head and shoved another spoonful into his mouth. "I sure hope my brother knows what he's doing," he grumbled.

"Do I detect jealousy, Mr. Kaiba?" Ms. Goldwine asked, signing the receipt which Keemo had clamped the clipboard he held with his teeth.

"Jealousy! Of her? No way!"

"Rank roo!" Keemo said, handing her the bags.

"Leave them in Ms. Cora's room," Ms. Goldwine ordered. Keemo nodded and walked away. "Yes, jealousy. You've been of foul mood since she's got here, sir."

"Well, it's not fair she's getting all this attention! And all this money being tossed away for her. I don't know what Seto sees in her. In fact, I don't think he sees anything at all. More than likely that girl has him under a spell."

"A spell? Oh, don't be ridiculous."

"Well, something is wrong here. Seto would never bring some random stranger to our place and shower them with gifts unless it was really important."

"And you don't think Cora is of great importance to him? I've known your brother for a long time, Mokuba, and I know he is not a charitable man. Not even a copper penny to a homeless man. But Cora...she's special. I think so and your brother seems to think so. Maybe if you give her a chance, you'll see she's special, too."

"I doubt it. I'll be honest with you, Barbara, I don't like her. I hate her! She's been Seto's main priority since he brought her here."

"Give the girl a chance, Mokuba. She's been through a lot. She wasn't born as privileged as you were."

"We didn't start out that way," Mokuba said coldly. "Seto had to work really hard to get us where we are. And if that girl wants to stick around, I expect her to do the same thing. Got it!"

"Your brother already instructed me on what to do with her, Mr. Kaiba. I will take care of her."

A man wearing all black with a wine-red ascot came walking out of the elevator. "Rejoice!" he arrogantly called out, shifting his sunglasses from his eyes to his forehead. "I have arrived. Where is the patient?"

"Hey, what gives?" Mokuba yelled.

"Relax," said Ms. Goldwine. "Mr. Kaiba instructed me to find the best hair stylist in all of Domino. This is he."

"Yes," the man said, tossing his dirty-blond ponytail over his shoulder. "Picrasso is the name. Antolio Fernando Julio Alejandro Pricasso. Now, where is she? Where is the girl said to be the daughter of the Boss with Eyes of Blue?"

"Daughter!" Mokuba cried. "Seto didn't adopt anybody!"

"Not yet, of course," Ms. Goldwine said, bobbing her hand up and down to pacify Mokuba. "She still has to earn that title. And, Picrasso, I do hope word hasn't gotten out yet. Mr. Kaiba intends to keep Cora under wraps until she is ready to attend Duelist Academy. I do envy her. From what I understand, she'll be going the same year as High King Yuri."

Picrasso clapped his hands. "Indeed she will. And if she is too be around royalty, she must look like royalty. Where is she, Barbie, baby? Where is she? I must see her at once."

"This way," Ms. Goldwine said, leading him to her room.

Keemo and the other ushers were leaving as Barbara and Picrasso approached the room. He was still muttering: "Attention Duelists!" still practicing his speech for Pegasus' tournament. Barbara opened the door, letting Picrasso inside.

Cora was standing beside her bed, still damp and wrapped in a towel, as she examined the parcels and bags of clothing.

"Ah, there she is!" the stylist said happily. "There she is."

"Who are..." Cora began.

Picrasso grabbed her by the chin and examined her sternly and thoroughly. "Hmm," he said. "Brilliant blue eyes, just like the dragons her 'father' uses. But they're concealed behind these ghastly bangs."

He took a lock of her hair and sniffed it.

"Goddesses above, you reek!"

"Hey, I just washed it!" said Cora.

"With what? Dish soap?" Picrasso asked, tossing her hair away like it was garbage. "No, no, no, this will never do! I will not lie to you Barbie-baby. I have my work cut out for me. But I've seen worse so this doesn't bother me too much." He patted her tummy. "Oh, but I see a little bulge in that belly. She's going to need to be slimmed down just a wee bit."

Ms. Goldwine protested at once. "Oh, no. I don't think that will be necessary."

"Nonsense, I've got a terrific diet for her. The Milkwalk Diet. A delicious blend of fruits and roots from the forests of Milkwalk in fairy tale land. Guaranteed loss of fifteen pounds in four weeks."

"Mr. Kaiba won't..."

"Barbie, baby! Kaiba paid me to make his daughter beautiful, and that's precisely what I'm going to do. Just sit back, relax, and leave everything to mua. Now, I need a little room. Ciao Bella."

The process seemed to go on for hours. Cora felt her hair getting clipped, pulled, and brushed over a dozen times. After that, Picrasso's team of young elven maids with pink hair started to apply makeup on her face and cleansed her skin of oils and other filth with sweet-smelling creams. When the job was done Cora went to her room and stepped into a walk-in closet as large as a boutique. It had a fountain at the center with a red leather padding ringing around the base for her to sit down. The closet stocked with top-of-the-line clothing that Ms. Goldwine personally bought herself. Cora didn't know how to feel at this moment. She had never had so many options before in her entire life, save for those old clothes she found while skimming through the trash outside of markets and even homes.

Cora stepped into another room inside the closet and saw that it was loaded with expensive shoes. She grinned, finding it hard to believe that all of that was hers. There was another room filled with pajamas and robes...and underwear. Ten shelves-full of it. Some she would not have even dared to pick out for her self. She opened one of the drawers and found a thong that probably would not have even qualified as dental floss. She stretched it a couple of times and raised her eyes brows. "Uh uh," she said stuffing them back into the drawer.

She picked out a white summer dress and a denim jacket to wear over it. Cora slowly walked outside of the walk-in closet where Ms. Goldwine was waiting for her with a glass of champagne in hand. The woman got up and clapped when she saw Cora.

Cora laughed and twirled so Ms. Goldwine could get a good look at her outfit.

"Don't you clean up nice," Ms. Goldwine cheered, holding up her thumb in approval. "Do you like them? Do they fit you well?"

"Yeah, I expected them too. You only measured me like a dozen times before you left."

"Just have to be sure," Ms. Goldwine said, adjusting some parts of Cora's hair. "Well, you look adorable. You look like an entirely different person now that you've been cleaned up, my dear." She sniffed her. "Mmm, what a lovely scent."

"It's from May Tredwell's perfume line. You know I would have had to sell two of my kidneys just to get half a bottle of one of these?"

"Well, that's in the past. Now you have the whole collection and more. There's also Mai Valentine's brand if you like."

"I'll wear that one when I go to school. I heard she went to Rosenkruz before going to Duelist Academy, too. Who knows. Maybe I'll be a great Duelist like her."

"If you set your mind to it, you can do anything, my darling. Come, come. Your father awaits us for brunch. I believe he wants to get down to business."

"Oh, of course. But...uh...Ms. Goldwine. I wanna ask you something. And be honest with me."

"Of course. What is it?"

Cora looked around to make sure no one else was in the room. She turned around and arched her back. "You can tell I'm wearing panties, right? I swear to the Goddesses I am."

Ms. Goldwine burst out laughing. "What can I say? Those garments I bought you are from Secret Garden. They'll give you comfort and will stay hidden from view."

"Phew, that's a relief," Cora giggled. "All right, let's see what my 'dad' has in store for me."

* * *

**Seto**

* * *

"Is this is?" he wondered, slapping his palm against his forehead when he saw the two finalists in the Dragon Duel Championship Tournament, a special event held for youngsters with prodigious talents in the game of Duel Monsters. But for a man like Seto Kaiba, the competition was nothing but a group of scrubs thinking they were cool for coming up with FTK or OTK or whatever-turn-kill combo they could come up with. It was now the final Duel of the tournament and he was getting awfully bored. As he expected, the finalists would be two spoiled brats. One was a pompous son of a castellan from the Diamond District up north in Jade City. The other was a loud-mouthed bully who thought he looked cool and dominating in a leather jacket and a baseball cap. No. Just — just no.

"And here we are, at last, folks!" shouted the obnoxiously loud and over-hyped MC sitting in his personal glass box above the arena. "The final battle! Can we get a big cheer for our contestants who fought hard to make it this far?" The crowd cheered and applauded for the two kids. "Ooo, I didn't hear you! I said can we get a big cheer for our two awesome finalists!"

"Goddesses, is it time to go home yet?" Seto moaned. These two kids were hacks, and in a few moments, he had to degrade himself by giving one of them a trophy and his appraisal.

"Okay!" shouted the MC. "On the red platform, we have Cullen Addian the son of Lord Perton Addian the Castellan of the Diamond District and his all-powerful Mathmechs! And here, on the blue platform, Matteo Lucas of Domino City's Kings District with his deck of lovely, but dangerous Sky Strikers! Ladies and gentlemen! This is going to be an interesting match! Begin!"

Matteo won the coin toss and started the match. "You ready to lose in front of all Eredas, you spinless, nobleborn?"

"Just go so I can go home and celebrate my victory," sneered Cullen. "We're going to have a grand feast in my pool. And all the maids in the palace are invited." He raised his eyebrows up and down.

"You loser! I'll wipe that smirk off your face! I play Reinforcement of the Army! I add a warrior to my hand!"

Cullen yawned. "Uh-huh, go on."

Matteo growled. He was really starting to detest this boy. "I play Sky Striker Mobilize - Engage!"

"No, you will not; for I used Ash Blossom and Joyous Spring to cancel it out. Can you play something better? Or shall I start my turn."

Seto shook his head. "Definitely not worthy," he thought. "They are too cocky."

"Fine," said Matteo. "I summon Sky Striker Ace Raye!"

The platform whirred and the projectors rendered a young girl in a futuristic school uniform, carrying a blazing red katana.

**ATK/1500 DEF/1500**

"And here we get our first lovely Sky Striker!" swooned the MC. "By Ana! Aren't they adorable!"

"Just wait till you see this!" shouted Matteo. "After I tribute her for Link Summon, Sky Striker Ace - Raye will become Sky Striker Ace Kagari!"

Raye's school uniform digitized into nothing, leaving Raye in a tight, black bodysuit with red circuit board patterns. Then, a mechanical suit of red armor materialized over her body and her katana grew longer and covered in flames.

**ATK 1500**

**Link -1**

The crowd oohed at her appearance. She was definitely something more menacing now. "Sky Striker Kagari's effect activates!" shouted Matteo, feeling proud of the monster he just summoned. "I add a spell from my GY to my hand."

"For the love of all things sacred," Kaiba silently growled. "Just say Graveyard, you idiot!"

Matteo continued by using the spell, Engage, to add a spell to his hand called Sky Striker Mecha Modules Mobilize, which he then activated. "Now, with this spell! Kagari transforms into Sky Striker Ace Shizuku!" Kagari's armor dematerialized and then formed into another suit that was blue in color, and for more advanced. "Next, I set three cards face-down and end my turn! Then Shizuku lets me add a card to my hand. Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor, which I will use now on Shizuka, chaining with my Mecha Modules, which lets me set this card face-down! Your move rich boy!"

"Good, now I can end this match," Cullen said with a roll of his eyes. "I use Mystical Space Typhoon to rid the field of your Modules card. Next, I summon Balancer Lord." He slapped his card on the playmat and the projectors hummed, displaying a glowing knight. "Yes, the pieces are coming together nicely."

"You sure about that?" laughed Matteo. "I use Widow Anchor to cancel out any effects you have planned with that lame lord. Huh, just like your father."

"You will regret those words, serf! I special summon Mathmech Subtraction!"

"And I'll use my Trap Card, Compulsory Evacuation Device to send your Balancer Lord back to your hand! So much for your pieces being in play, eh?"

"If you would let me finish, I am not done with my turn yet. I use Cynet Mining, discarding a card and adding a Cyberse monster to my hand. Come forth, Mathmech Addition. Now, I will send Mathmech Subraction away to Link Summon Link Disciple! Then Addition makes way for Link Devotee! I will then use Link Disciple to destroy Devotee, which then lets me add two tokens."

"So what?"

"So what? How you made it this far is beyond me. I will offer Link Disciple and the token left behind by Devotee to call upon Cyberse Wicckid!"

"I cancel him out with..."

"Infernity yada-yada, I've seen that card many times. I know what it does. And I anticipated you would use it. So I have a backup plan. My final card, Card of Sanctity, which lets us refill our hands. Next, I special summon, Mathmech Nabla!"

"I came prepared. Here comes another Infernity Impermanence!"

"Activate a hundred of them, it won't do you any good. I special summon Mathmech Division, and I will use his effect to remove Wicckid and call back Addition from the Graveyard. I will use Nabla's effect to offer Addition for Mathmech Multiplication. Now, I will tune my monsters and Synchro Summon Geomathmech Final Sigma!"

Seto already got up from his seat. It was all over. Thanks to the Mathmech cards in the Graveyard, they boosted the power of Final Sigma to 6000 and reduced the ATk of Shizuku. Plus, the damage inflicted by him in battle was doubled. His power dealt 10500 damage to Matteo's Life Points, bringing the Duel to an end.

As he feared, the briefcase did not shine the way it did when Cora entered the diner the other night.

_There must be some mistake, _he thought. _This...this girl. She can't be the one to use the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. She doesn't know the basics of the game. How can this be? What is it about her that they find so special?_

* * *

**Later**

* * *

"The Black Tyranno?" Kaiba whispered to himself, typing this and that as he looked for information of the beast. Behind his table was the glamorous Rosenkruz Bay. Its waters glowing gold in the early morning sunlight. Luxury boats lazily sailed by the cafe where he sat to have breakfast. "That's one rare monster," he said.

"He's a pretty strong card," Mokuba agreed, his face on the window above the screen of Kaiba's laptop. "He belonged to House Delgado since the foundation. And get this, Yuri's father once used it."

"I know," Kaiba said, sipping his coffee. "I remember Gabriel pretty well. But how did it wind up in Yuri's hands? He's not supposed to be using that."

"I don't know, Seto. It's obvious Yugi and the others are behind this. But I doubt they would risk open war with Feldia for a card. In fact, King Salazar claimed the card just vanished in a bright flash of light. One second it was there, the next it's in Yuri's hands. You know how Yugi always talks about the Heart of the Cards? I think maybe that's how Black Tyranno found his way to Yuri."

"Heart of the Cards! A highly skilled thief is behind this, Mokuba. In any case, the card is in Yuri's hands now, and he's using it very well. Be sure to tell that ESS agent over there to keep a close eye on him. There have been reports of Rare Hunters sneaking into Gates. How and why? I don't care. Just make sure Yuri is kept safe and the card is in his hands."

"You got it, Seto!" Mokuba said, closing the link to the video chat.

Kaiba groaned and rubbed his temples with the tips of his fingers. He heard the clip-clop of high heels and raised his head to see who was coming.

Ms. Goldwine approached him smiling, then tilted her head towards a ramp with iron lampposts. He couldn't believe his eyes.

Was the young lady approaching him really that smelly, underdressed, rude, and foul-mouthed street rat he picked up the night before? Her once ragged, rough, and wiry hair was now as smooth as silk and shining brightly in the light of the sun. The pungent rags she wore were replaced by a white summer dress and a crisp denim jacket. The bangs that covered her brilliant blue eyes were cut away. Her skin was almost glowing and as radiant as the morning sun. Her lips were glossed, almost mirroring the warm light.

"She's beautiful," Ms. Goldwine said. "Aren't I amazing?"

Kaiba smiled. "You sure outdid yourself this time, Barbara. I'll give you that."

Cora slowly walked to the table. Ms. Goldwine pulled up a chair so she could sit down.

"Morning, Seto," Cora said, placing a handkerchief on her lap.

"Good morning," he said calmly. "Well, this is an improvement over what you were last night. You look very nice."

"Thank you," Cora said bashfully.

"Now, it's time for business."

Ms. Goldwine clicked her tongue. "Mr. Kaiba, don't you think she should order something to eat first?"

"Order her a stack of pancakes and her choice of drink."

Cora looked up Ms. Goldwine. "I'll have a glass of milk. Ice cold."

"At once, Ms. Cora." Ms. Goldwine went to the front desk to order Cora's breakfast.

Cora leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "I see you're not one who bullshits, Seto. So, what do I have to do in order to be a part of this family?"

"Simple." Kaiba reached into his pocket. He slammed a deck of cards, protected by a black box. He leaned forward, crossing his fingers. "I have built you a powerful deck, Cora. You are going to learn how to use this deck."

"Piece of cake."

Kaiba smiled at her arrogance. "I sure hope you're right. With this deck, you are going to defeat one hundred opponents before summer begins."

"One hundred!"

"Yes, and I will only allow up to ten losses. Lose ten times, and you are out of my house."

"What!?"

"Yes. And you will need these." He brought up a huge stack of books, slamming them on the table. "You will study hard and earn the marks to enter the Obelisk Blue Dorm.

"That is so unfair!"

Kaiba chuckled. "I had to go through so much worse to become a Kaiba. This is a mere cakewalk compared to what I had to do."

* * *

**The Lore of House Kaiba**

* * *

_ ** ** _

#  _(François St-Pierre)_

**Ser Christon the Azure Knight: **

**Christon of House of Whitewyrm (A Cadet Branch of House Rosenkruz) was born in the ancient city of Whitelanding in the year 1200 2 AOS (Second Age of the Sun). At the age of fourteen, he squired under the legendary warrior, Prince Darrien Rosenkruz, who was second in line for the White Crystal Throne at the time and rode the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Galbranax the White Lightning. In the year 1221, Christon was knighted after he performed the heroic deed of saving Lady Annas, the daughter of a highly revered nobleman, from a Hitosu-Me Giant that attacked her convoy. The creature took her to its cave, to devour her. Once the pot was bubbling, your Christon blew on his golden horn and charged into the cave to do battle with the giant. The battle lasted for an hour and then the giant's ruin fell to the ground. After being dubbed a knight, Ser Christon and Lady Annas were married. Her ecstatic father then named him the Duke of the Azure Estates. **

**Ser Christon would grow to become known as the Crusader of the Blue-Eyes, leading a faction of elite Vollanti warriors, known as the Paladins of the White Dragon, on a campaign across the hold of Eredas (Called Derlomiond at the time) and fought the imperialistic Golden Elves who kept humans as slaves for hundreds of years, and they were also discovered to be worshipping Odiva the Goddess of Perfection and her son, Zorc Necrophades. Christon became revered as a Champion of House Rosenkruz after he took down an army of 100 mercenaries singlehandedly in a battle that lasted three days. In journals that have been miraculously preserved by the Librarians of Blue-Eyes, it's been discovered that the mercenaries had to deal with night raids and ambushes in the forests at the foot of the Great White Mountains. The mercenary leader sent a letter to Ungermax — The High King of the Golden Elves — pleading for reinforcements; for he thought they were being attacked by a thousand men. **

**After this great deed, King Vallius Rosenkruz blessed Ser Christon with possession of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon called Dexoxion the Northern Storm. Together, they brought the Golden Elves and their empire to its knees, freeing the race of Men and then aiding them in establishing the first kingdoms. **


	3. Rosenkruz Academy

* * *

**Kaiba**

* * *

The stadium was dark and empty. The 300,000 seats were bare, with not a soul to cheer for the two competitors below. For Seto Kaiba, that was just the way he wanted it. He wanted to Duel his arch-rival here and now, all alone. Above him, the stars glimmered like a billion torches, and the beautiful Northern Aurora was shining brightly in a dark orange glow. He heard the thick metals doors across the stadium burst open.

The wind howled ominously as if the Goddesses themselves were singing for the arrival of Kaiba's opponent. His ears picked up the sound of footsteps. Slowly, but surely _He _finally came into view under the light of the stars and the Aurora. As he slowly marched to the Dueling Arena, the stadium lights burst on, illuminating their playing field.

Yami Yugi grinned when he finally climbed up the steps of the arena and saw Kaiba standing on the other end with his arms crossed in a dramatic pose. His coat swayed in the wind.

"I thought you would call me out to a place like this," Yami smirked as he said this. "Are you challenging me to a Duel again?"

"I didn't bring you all the way out here just to dance," said Seto. "Have you been too busy Dueling our young friend that you have forgotten you still have to contend with me?"

"I'm just keeping his skills sharp," Yami said with a grin. "True, their format may not be as 'advanced' as ours, but he is getting better by the day with each time I visit him."

"The Prince can do without your interference!" said Kaiba.

Yami grinned hearing Kaiba say those words. He sounded...off.

"Are you jealous that it is I who will be his teacher and not you, Kaiba?" Yami asked defiantly. "You always were so persistent of that job since it was announced he would be High King."

Kaiba did not approve of his snarky remark. "I could care less as to who becomes his Duel Monsters instructor!" Kaiba yelled. "And as I recall, I'm the one who got his family to be the powerhouse they are today. He'd be on the streets if it wasn't for me!"

"Yes, that is true," said Yami. "But that still fails to qualify you to be his master."

"Prince Yuri's skills in Duel Monsters don't concern me!" Kaiba shouted. "My only goal is the be the number one Duelist in the world, and tonight we settle things once and for all. And we shall do so with my brand new Duel Disk system. With its combination of magic and my bleeding-edge beyond-state-of-the-art technology, it can give monsters a more realistic form as if they were ripped right out of their worlds to do battle. Now, we will no longer have to contend with pitiful Phantoms or wimpy holograms, Yugi. Prepare to lose!"

Kaiba held out his arm as his Duel Disk began to boot up projecting windows of information all around him. Finally, a blue arcane circle formed beneath his feet.

"This time, I will defeat you, Yugi!"

"Ha!" said Yami, activating his old, Battle City Duel Disk. "You've been saying that for years. It's Time to Duel, Kaiba!"

**LP 4000**

Yami stretched his smile even wider. "Yes. Let's make this quick; for I have to teach our young friend another lesson."

"Oh, this will be quick!" yelled Kaiba. "Make no mistake of that!"

"You're still as cocky as ever, Kaiba," Yami said. He drew his five cards.

Kaiba grunted and did the same. His cards formed in front of his face as pale blue holograms that could activate with just a touch. "I'll start first! I told you to prepare for battle, Yugi! But there's nothing in your deck that can prepare you for this!"

The ground behind Kaiba began to quake. Beams of blue light erupted out of the cracks which grew longer with each passing second. At last, the trio of dragons burst out, screeching in freedom. Kaiba's beloved Blue-Eyes White Dragons.

All three of them.

They roared at Yami in frustration for all the years he slaughtered them. Blasted by Exodia. Slain by Dark Paladin. Pummeled by the Divine Beasts when they called him master during the Battle City Tournament. This time, they were sure their master would make him pay for all the years of humiliating defeats. They began to glow and spun around like a twister as they merged into one ferocious beast.

"I fusion summon!" Kaiba announced loudly and proudly.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragons became a monstrous weapon of destruction with three heads, a powerful body, and a wingspan of thirty feet.

"Come forth, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

The Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon hissed at Yami and screeched with a high-pitched metallic cry.

**Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon**

**ATK/4500 DEF/3800 (LV 12)**

** **

"I place two cards face-down. Your move, Yugi."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes, staring down at Yami as though he was a pest that needed to be crushed immediately.

"Ha! Very well, Kaiba. I draw! First I activate the Spell Card, Dark Magic Circle! With this card, I can look at the top three cards of my deck, and if any of them is a Dark Magician or is a Spell or Trap with Dark Magician in the text, I can reveal it, and add it to my hand. And put the remaining two cards back to the top of my deck in any order I desire. Next, I play Pot of Desires, banishing 10 cards from the top of my deck face down. And I draw two cards. Now, I discard a card from my hand to Special Summon a young mage from a new generation of magicians. Say hello to Apprentice Illusion Magician!"

A pink arcane circle appeared over Yami. From it emerged a young girl with long silvery-blonde hair that went down to her feet. She wore an armored mage outfit trimmed with gold and silver and she wielded a uniquely shaped wand in her right hand. She winked vexingly at Kaiba and came to a stop next to Yami.

**ATK/2000 DEF/1700 **

**(LV 6)**

Yami continued after she was done with her entrance. "And now with her effect, I discard a card to add one Dark Magician to my hand. I set two cards face-down, ending my turn."

Kaiba drew his card. "I play the Spell Card, The Melody of Awakening Dragon. Now, by discarding one card from my hand, I can add two dragons with three thousand attack and twenty-five hundred defense from my deck to my hand. Next, I discard a card to play Monster Reincarnation, returning a card from my Graveyard to my hand. Behold, as I reveal to you my Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Doing so allows me to Special Summon my newest monster. Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!"

**ATK/ 3000 DEF/2500 **

**(LV 8)**

Now that he had another Blue-Eyes Monster on the field, Kaiba immediately went for the attack. He held out his hand and shouted: "Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Annihilate his Apprentice now! Neutron Blast!"

The dragon's three heads opened their mouths. Their attacks quickly charged and they angled their heads so that the beams they created merged together into one powerful attack in the shape of a white orb.

Yami quickly stepped into action. "Not so fast, Kaiba! I reveal my face-down card. Magician's Navigation! This trap card allows me to Special Summon one Dark Magician from my hand."

Dark Magician shot out of a portal hovering in the middle of an arcane circle, causing the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to hiss with a fiery hate. That monster in many cases had been the dragon's downfall during the Duels Yami and Kaiba had over the years.

"But, I'm not through yet, Kaiba, for my Magician's Navigation allows me to Special Summon from my Deck, the Dark Magician Girl!"

Another magical circle formed above Yami, opening the way for the most beautiful monster in the game. The Dark Magician Girl. She flung her hair over her shoulder with her hand and gave Kaiba a wink before slowly descending to the field, joining the Apprentice Illusion Magician and the Dark Magician.

"What's more," said Yami, "because you used your Alternative White Dragon's effect, I can Special Summon, Magician of Dark Illusion! (**ATK/2100 DEF/2500**). When on the field, my Magician of Dark Illusion is treated as a Dark Magician. And furthermore, when a Dark Magician is Special Summoned to the field, I can activate my Dark Magic Circle, allowing me to Banish one of your monsters. And I choose your Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

Kaiba was quick to retaliate. "No, Yugi! Don't think it will be that easy! I activate Dark Sacrifice! This card will give your Dark Magical Circle a new target. Saggi the Dark Clown! He will take the hit and destroy your spell."

"Hee hee hee!" laughed Saggi the Dark Clown. Taking the hit of the Dark Magical Circle's effect.

Yami growled; for he found Saggi the Dark Clown to be one of Kaiba's most irritating monsters. It pummeled him during their first match. Then, when they fought in Duelist Kingdom, Saggi was infected with a virus that rendered his strongest monsters useless.

Now that Yami had a chance to banish Kaiba's strongest monster, he came into play ruining his chances. Once the coast was clear, Kaiba continued with his Battle Phase.

"Say goodbye to your Apprentice Illusion Magician, Yugi! Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon! White Lightning!"

"I think not, Kaiba! I activate the Trap Card, Negate Attack!"

The Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon's attack was stopped. The trap saved Yami's magicians were safe from the wrath of Kaiba's dragons.

"You're getting on my last nerves, Yugi," Kaiba said rather calmly to hide the rage inside of him. But he was still confident his Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was going to grant him victory tonight.

"My turn," said Yami. "I draw! Now, I shall perform an Xyz Summon!"

"What!" Kaiba cried in in confusion. "Where did you learn how to do that?"

"A young boy by the name of Yuma showed me how," said Yami, holding up the monster he was about to summon. "He's a formidable opponent who likes to 'Go with the Flow'. And now. I will Overlay my Dark Magician Girl with my Apprentice Illusion Magician to create the all-powerful, Magi Magi Magician Gal!"

The Dark Magician Girl and Apprentice Illusion Magicians tapped their wands together and their bodies turned into cybernetic outlines. Their life forces turned into two glowing orbs of light that swirled into the air and formed Yami's new monster.

"What are you doing?" Kaiba could not tear his gaze away from the new monster who resembled Dark Magician Girl, but this one wore a black outfit. She seemed more real and fleshed compared to her counterpart the Dark Magician Girl who took the form of an Eldori. She was a far more serious monster than the Dark Magician Girl as well. She sighed, coming down to the field with an emotionless look on her face as she joined the Dark Magician.

**Magi Magi Magician Gal**

**ATK/2400 DEF/2000**

**Rank 6**

** **

"And now," said Yami. "I shall Xyz Summon for a second time, combining my Dark Magician and Magician of Black Illusion to become, Ebon Illusion Magician!"

Yami's new monster was a young, shadowy figure in robes as black as night and long golden hair that went down past his back to his ankles.

**Ebon Illusion Magician**

**ATK/2500 DEF/2100**

**Rank 7**

** **

Yami clenched his fist in triumph. "That's not all, Kaiba. I remove an Xyz Material from my Ebon Illusion Magician to Special Summon from my hand, Chaos Command Magician!"

"More Magicians!" Kaiba growled. "They just keep coming!"

Yami chuckled arrogantly, for there was nothing more than he loved than defeating Kaiba at his own game.

"Magicians aren't all you must contend with, Kaiba. For I remove and Xyz Material from my Magi Magi Magician Gal to revive a monster from your Graveyard to my field. Saggi the Dark Clown!"

The clown appeared on Yami's side of the field, giving off his hideous cackle again. This confused Seto, for he had two more Blue-Eyes White Dragons in his Graveyard. Instead of choosing them, he instead chose to revive his weakest card.

"What are you planning?" Kaiba began to get scared and angry. He had a feeling he was losing control of this Duel.

"This will finish you!" Yami shouted, holding up the final card of the match. "I activate the spell, Magicalize Fusion! This card allows me to Fusion Summon a monster by banishing five Spellcasters from my field or in my Graveyard. Now I bring forth a Magician unlike any other!"

"OH NO!" shouted Kaiba. "It can't be!"

"Oh, it is!" said Yami. "Behold! Quintet Magician!"

The arena went dark, then was lit by the eerie green glow of an arcane circle of extravagant design. From it emerged a ten-foot-tall magician wearing cerulean blue robes chased with dull gold embroidery over a dark gray bodysuit with gold etchings of magical designs.

Five green magical circles orbited around him. His skin was colored pale blue, and his long saffron-colored hair flowed out of his cone-shaped hat in the same design as the hats all Magicians wore and it bore the same color scheme as his outfit.

**Quintet Magician**

**ATK/4500 DEF/4500 (LV 12)**

** **

Kaiba stood his ground. "Your Quintet Magician and my Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon are evenly matched! They'll destroy each other if they do battle!"

Yami couldn't help but form a smirk with the corner of his mouth. "Sorry to disappoint you, Kaiba, but my Quintet Magician and your Ultimate Dragon won't be doing battle."

"What?!"

"Because I Fusion Summoned my Quintet Magician with five Spellcaster monsters with different names, he can destroy all cards that you control!"

"NO! THIS CAN'T BE!" Kaiba bellowed in horror. "I WILL NOT LOSE TO YOU AGAIN!"

Yami held out his hand to command his all-powerful Magician to perform his special ability and end the game. "Go, Quintet Magician! Destroy his Blue-Eyes and attack his Life Points directly!"

Quintet Magician held out his hand. A staff appeared before him. He grabbed it and spun it over his head creating a deep metallic whirring noise. Kaiba's two dragons were covered in green magical runes.

When Quintet Magician slammed his staff on the ground the two monsters exploded with the force of two atom bombs that caused great damage to the stadium. When the dragons were gone, Quintet Magician raised his staff and created a ball of magical energy the size of a wrecking ball. He whacked it with his staff, launching it at Kaiba.

"AAAAAH!" Kaiba roared as his body disintegrated into dust that flew off into the night sky.

* * *

** _Simulation Over_ **

* * *

"Damn it all to hell." Kaiba opened his eyes. The augmented reality he created digitized into nothing and he returned to the real world. He was standing back in his office.

Kaiba held up his wrist which caused a holographic keyboard to appear over the Duel Disk he wore. He typed for the menu options and pressed a button on the holographic interface to make a call to his chief engineer.

"I was not expecting that in his deck!" he shouted at the poor man. "Explain yourself!"

"Sorry sir," said Scott Irving. "You said to update the AI's Deck with every card Yugi Muto had. That new monster the AI used to defeat you was just one of many of the new cards Yugi Muto added to his deck. We had no idea he could summon it with such ease."

"That is no excuse for this failure!" said Kaiba.

"Please, sir!" Scott begged, realizing his job was at stake. "We are very close to devising a winning stratagem!"

"You'd better!" shouted Kaiba. "Or you'll find yourself in the unemployment line!"

He cut the call and slumped in his chair. He looked out the window at the cityscape outside.

He heard the soft sound of linen flapping and feet wrapped in socks dragging across the floor. He turned his chair around to face the intruder. Cora yawned walking out of the dark hallway towards him with a glass of milk in hand.

"Rough day?" she asked, rubbing her eye, heavy with sleep.

"What are you still doing up?" Kaiba almost yelled. "You're supposed to be sleeping. If you miss your first day of school I'll..."

"Kick me out into the streets again," Cora mimicked him. "Yes, yes, I know. Relax, okay, I just woke up."

Kaiba sat up and formed a weak smirk. "The excitement is getting to you, eh?"

"Not really," Cora said, walking towards his desk. Without permission, she scooted his paperwork and some gadgets aside with her arm and sat down. She took a sip of her milk and said: "I had a nightmare."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "If you want me to tuck you in, you're out of luck."

Cora crossed her legs. "That's not why I'm here," she said, sitting up straight. "Have you heard of the Vollantai?"

Kaiba nodded. "I'm impressed. You've been reading the books I gave you."

"Ms. Goldwine forced me to. It's not like I had much of a choice. They were a beautiful race of people, right? From the lost continent of Vollantia? Bluish-White hair, milky skin, and blue-eyes were their distinct features. I think I just saw one."

"Care to explain?"

"It was pretty vague. She said this was only the beginning. Do you think maybe I was destined to be with you."

"Nonsense. Your brain is just fried from all the reading you've done. I assure you, there is nothing mystical going on. There is no such thing as destiny. Now was there anything else you wanted? I have a lot of work to do."

The corner of Cora's mouth twitched. "No," she said, shaking her head. "There wasn't anything else."

"Good. Now go back to your room and go to sleep. Don't you dare wake up late."

"I won't," Cora said, getting off the desk. "Goodnight."

She waited for him to say goodnight as well. He said nothing. Cora chose to bother him no more and went to her room.

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

Rosenkruz Academy stood like a castle in the middle of the sea surrounded by waterfalls and fountains that danced around hundreds of feet into the air. Seagulls flew over the bridge towards the school, squawking happily over the sapphire blue waters of Rosenkruz Bay. Students walked about the ground taking photos of one another, talking, and even Dueling. The boys dressed in black blazers trimmed in white and gold thread and gold buttons and black slacks. The girls wore the same blazers and yellow skirts, black socks, and loafers.

Duel Monsters did battle with one another on the wide bridge to the campus and on the grounds as well.

Cora approached the bridge nervously, adjusting the strap of her messenger bag containing all her things for school. "Oh, I don't see why I have to wear a bow," Cora whined, trying to take the white bow out of her hair.

"Oh, Miss Cora, you're making such a fuss," Ms. Goldwine said adjusting it. "You look cute."

"I don't want to look cute. I'm a Kaiba."

"Not yet," Ms. Goldwine assured her. "Be sure to pay close attention to your instructors. This is the best prep-school for Duelist Academy in all of Eredas. Perhaps all of Termnnia. If you intend to go to the School of Kings and, more importantly, become a Kaiba, you must excel here, first."

"I get the picture," Cora said, ducking right to avoid Ms. Goldwine's fingertips, which were going to fix her hair.

"That's a good girl. I'll be here to pick you up at three. Don't keep me waiting. We have a tight schedule after class."

"What? A schedule? On my first day of school? Don't I get to relax or something a little later."

"No. Your only time to relax is at nine o'clock before bed. When you sleep."

Cora groaned. "What have I gotten myself into?"

"If you wish to back out, now's the time to do it."

"Never," Cora said at once. "I'll see you at three."

"Indeed. Have a good first day of school, Miss Cora."

Cora had to traverse long hallways crammed with students and tourists, and even take a train to an underwater level of the school where she would have her first class of the day. There was a town in the underwater level, filled with quaint homes for students studying abroad and shops and restaurants. A Dueling Arena was at the center of the town. Cora heard a crowd of students cheering over the walls as well as explosions and roars from terrible monsters the Duelists summoned.

She found a tower at the center of a lake. It was the site of her first class. She sighed heavily and puffed out her chest. "Here we go," she whispered. "You can do this, Cora."

She walked inside the tower. A lecture hall big enough to fill fifty students surrounded a platform with a desk, a holographic board, and the skeleton of a sea monster called Kairyu-Shin spiraling above the glass ceiling, where hundreds of fish swam above. Cora found a seat near the top and set her bag down. She looked around, feeling butterflies in her stomach. Everyone spoke to each other like they knew one another. Well, of course, they did. They were one month into the semester, making Cora feel so far behind.

The bell rang. A woman walked into the lecture calling out to her students to sit down and be quiet. Her hair was like golden silk and her eyes seemed to glow bright blue behind her black wide-brimmed glasses.

"Put a lid on it please!" she called out. "Baxter get back to your seat, please. Donna, Luna, Ashley, don't make me come up there! Settle down now."

The students finally quieted down.

"Thank you," she said. "Now, I have two very important announcements to make. The leaking in the ballroom has been repaired ahead of schedule so the October Dance will be going as planned."

The students cheered and clapped. Some whistled.

The teacher held out her palms. "Quiet, quiet, please. Thank you. I think we could all use a bit of good news. Second. We have a new student. Everyone, please give a warm welcome to Cora...uh...Cora..." She adjusted her glasses to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "Cora Kaiba."

Gasps filled the lecture hall. Students began to whisper to one another.

"Kaiba?

"Did she say Kaiba?"

"I heard something about him adopting an heir. But that can't be."

"That's just a rumor."

"Where is she?"

The teacher looked around. "Stand up, my dear. Don't be shy."

Cora mustered all the courage she had and stood up. The students oohed and ahhed.

"Wow."

"Ooh-la-la," said a girl from down below.

"She's hot."

The teacher nodded at her. "Well, do you have a few words you'd like to share with us? Perhaps an explanation as to why you are labeled as Kaiba?"

"It's a long story," Cora said bashfully. "I just...I don't know. He saw me and took me in. And here I am."

"Do you have the Blue-Eyes White Dragons?" asked a boy from two seats below. "Are they with you? How much do you want for them? I can pay you anything."

"Get in line!" said another brash young man. "Those dragons are mine. Whatever he's paying, I'll double it."

"Uh, no, I don't have them," said Cora.

"Awww," the students groaned.

"I have to earn them," Cora said at once. "And the only way I can is to Duel."

The teacher clapped. "Good on him. Now, uh, do you think it was destiny that brought you to House Kaiba."

Cora chuckled nervously. "Uh, no. I don't think it was. And neither does my...my father. He doesn't believe in destiny. He thinks it's all a bunch of _hocus pocus mind tricks_."

The students laughed at Cora's impersonation of Seto Kaiba's cold, scratchy, voice.

The teacher laughed as well, finding it to be very well done. "Well, welcome to my class, Cora. My name is Professor Cynthia Lionheart. It is a real honor to have you here. Thank you. You may sit down. Now class, let us get to work."

* * *

**The Lore of House Kaiba**

* * *

**As Termnnia recovered from the War of the Giants, the great continent of Vollantia rose to power and became the place where civilization as we knew it would form. The great beauty of the Vollanti is the stuff of legend, said to almost surpass that of the Arva and the fair Celtra. Their silvery-blue hair and bright blue eyes were their most notable features, and their creation was a glorious collaboration of the dragon goddess Saafani and the Higher Power himself.**

**The had but one type of monster serving them. The legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragons. These beasts were gifts from Safaani, and all who were born on Vollantia would receive one on the day of their birth. The bond the Blue-Eyes and their Vollantai masters was a powerful one. They paired for life.**

**It is thanks to these virtually invincible beasts that Vollantia was known as The Unconquerable Kingdom. Being a nation of great knowledge, riches, magical energy, and great beauty, many kings gathered to claim it. Slavers from all over the world even gathered in number to steal Vollanti women and sell them to greedy kings who lusted for them. To have a woman of divine beauty was a rare gift, but even rarer still to have one with a magical bond to a dragon so powerful, it was considered a Divine Beast. And the gold. Elven Bankers who were lucky enough to trade with the Vollanti say that their vaults contained an entire sea of precious gems, gold coins, and Star Chips. ** **And Blue-Eyes White Dragon eggs, ripe for the taking. Some say that a dragon made of precious stones and other treasure guarded their horde. Alexandrite Dragon it was called.**

**But try as they might. They always failed.**

**One Vollanti knight riding a Blue-Eyes White Dragon into battle could destroy an entire naval fleet and lay waste to an army of ten thousand men. Sometimes, the Vollanti felt pity for their would-be conquerors, and let them make landfall to make their invaders think they were an easy prize to be won, and they would stand upon the cliffs and laugh as the armies perished from a blast of White Lightning.**

**They prospered for thousands of years. But good things, they say, never last forever. The earth began to change, and in doing so, the continent of Vollantia was bombarded by horrible earthquakes and began to sink to the bottom of the sea. Hundreds of millions of Vollanti people perished, including many of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Their eggs were dragged down to the depths, never to be recovered. However, thirteen Great Houses escaped the cataclysm and fled to Termnnia to settle and become mentors to the race of Men, who were just starting to create a civilization of their own.**

**The greatest of these Houses was the House Rosenkruz, for the great beast Túltóron the Legendary Dragon of White (The Blue-Eyes Xyz Monster) was under their command.**

**As the years went by, the first High King, Tiberius Pendragon the Uniter came into power. The blood of the Vollanti boiled, for they felt they should rule Termnnia as kings. After hundreds of years, they would gather their forces and wage war against House Pendragon for claim to the ultimate seat of power.**

**The Diamond Throne.**

**The war they started for the Diamond Throne was called The Waltz of the Dragon Queens, for the combatants in this war was High Queen Evangelia the last of the Pendragons who was defending her right to the throne. She commanded the great beast known as Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.**

**The Second was Princess Jasmine Walston of Akuuda, who commanded an army of Red-Eyes Black Dragon. After years of being vassals to the High King, she felt that it was time for her family to claim the Heart-Earth Crown, the Diamond Throne, and the God Cards. And she would do this by any means necessary, even killing her father and slaughtering his followers, and burning the capital of Elleria, King's Rock, to the ground, in what would later be known as The Rain of Black Fire.**

**The third was Princess Trish Leonara Etheldreda Draconis Rosenkreuz, eldest daughter of King Roderic of Pearl Bay, and hand chosen by the sorcerer Manaywdden Fab Lyr to be High Queen after he usurped the throne from House Pendragon many years before. And a former friend to the ruling High Queen.**

**The campaign was unsuccessful for both House Walston and House Rosenkruz. For with the help of a Rainbow Overdragon and a Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay and her army of Galaxy-Eyes, High Queen Evangelia won the war and remained on the Diamond Throne. ** **Princess Trish and the mighty ** **Túltóron perished in the fighting, falling to their deaths into Lake Crystina. Their bodies were never recovered.**

**With the loss of the princess and their great beast, House Rosenkruz fell into complete disarray. By now, the other Vollanti Houses had gone extinct.**

**In the chaos, a mischievous prankster made his move.**

**His name was Cloper Kaiba the Naughty Wyrm. **

** **

_ **(Credit to Art Station)** _

**He was nothing more than a manure farmer who would sometimes serve as the court jester. But despite this, he was devilishly handsome. The girls, who were being groomed to be the next line of Queens to the House, found him irresistible. Sometimes, they paid him visits in the stables for pleasurable company and were even so bold as to take him on rides atop their Blue-Eyes White Dragons.**

**Eventually, Cloper started sneaking into the castle every night and had his way with the girls of House Rosenkruz, in provocative indulgences that would last the whole evening. Ultimately, the maidens of the House began giving birth to brown-haired bastards. The pure bloodline of House Rosenkruz was tainted. With no ruler to take the crown, House Rosenkruz had no choice but to dub the father as the new ruler.**

**And thus House Kaiba was born.**


	4. Light and Darkness

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

"Where is she?" Cora grumbled. She checked her watch while tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. Ms. Goldwine was running late. She was supposed to meet Cora here at the courtyard fifteen minutes ago. Probably out in town buying another latte or gossiping with her office mates again.

As for Cora, one would think with the name Kaiba she would be surrounded by a large group of friends by now. She pictured herself riding into Domino in the back of an exotic car with a handsome Duelist and a flock of girls, laughing and gossiping on their way to the mall or the theatre for a good movie after school. Well, she wasn't. She was all alone in the courtyard of the academy. She hadn't made a single friend that day.

Then again, except for a few blokes who tried to bribe her for her Blue-Eyes White Dragons and made crude propositions she had to refuse, she didn't really talk to anyone either.

Twenty minutes had gone by. By now, Cora thought it best to go inside and wait for Ms. Goldwine in the school. The tropical heat of Southern Eredas was cooking her. Her skin, moist with sweat, was sticking to her blouse, and her jewelry was starting to make her itch. A cool breeze flew by every now and then, granting Cora some relief from the heat. But the sky over the buildings of Domino was turning dark black.

A drumbeat of thunder could be heard. The cool breeze now turned into a howling wind, which was not good considering how short her skirt was. She had to hold it down with her hands as the storm grew closer. Her face turned red and she gritted her teeth. "I'm going to punch the bastard who thought to make it this short was a good idea!" She muttered, crossing her legs.

A cold raindrop suddenly fell on the tip of her nose followed by a distant rumble of thunder. Yup. It was time to go back inside. "Ms. Goldwine, my father is going to hear about this." Cora kicked a stone into the pond before going back inside the campus. "_We have a tight schedule to keep Ms. Cora_," she said mocking Ms. Goldwine.

She took a long walk through the vast halls of the school and saw something that caught her interest. A sign above a pair of escalators that read Arena 1.

"An arena!" Cora said happily. "Now we're talking."

She went down to the lower level and entered the playing grounds. It was a stadium that could house a crowd of 20,000 strong. The banners of the academy hung from the rafters hundreds of feet above. A giant screen on the other side of the stadium was showing a looping image of the academy's logo. Cora sniffed the air. She caught a sweet and mouth-watering scent.

Food! On the east side of the stadium was a food court with restaurants of all kinds including some from another world called Earth, where Prince Yuri was said to reside until he was ready to come home to be king. Tables and booths were neatly placed around the Dueling Arena at the center of the stadium. A fountain of silver and myrrh and brilliant white limestone that glittered at the right of the arena.

A statue of a knight in armor fashioned to look like a Blue-Eyes White Dragon stood on top of the fountain. He was holding up a sword as a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon roared behind him, spewing out water from its mouth into the pool below where a few girls took off their boots to cool their feet as they did their homework.

Cora soon realized that this stadium was no stadium. It was a cafeteria. She wanted to eat, but she knew Ms. Goldwine was probably on her way. Instead, she looked around for a few challenges to face. Lucky for her, there was a group of young Eldori men standing on the arena, laughing as a tall brute with a shaved head told crude jokes about his girlfriend.

Their uniforms were quite different. They were more like dark blue trenchcoats trimmed with gold and white and decorated with gold buttons. The shoulders of the trenchcoat were tall and wide, white at the center with a solid gold emblem of the academy and their order.

One of them had long, blond hair going down to his back in elegant waves. Swirled bangs hung over his face giving him the appearance of an angel. His eyes were bright green mixed with the same color of blue Cora had. His trenchcoat had gold epaulets and a platinum chestplate was strapped over his torso.

Cora couldn't wait to face them. She hurried up the steps but was not met with a friendly welcome.

"Get down from here," said a young man with curled blue hair. "This here is our turf."

"Says who?" said Cora.

"Says Headmistress Rosamunde Thaddeus, that's who! This here arena is for the academy's honor students. We're the best of the best. And you're not. Now scram."

The young man with the blond hair stepped forward. "Hold on. I know you. You're the girl everyone's talking about. Cora, correct."

"That's right."

The boy with the shaved head scratched his head. "You mean that girl they call Kaiba's daughter?"

"Forgive this simpleton," the blond boy said bowing. "He may be highborn but knows no manners. Especially towards lovely girls such as you. I am very pleased to meet you, Cora. I am Prince Clovis of House Matthias. Son of King Engel Matthias of Shark Rock."

Cora smirked pretentiously. "A petty kingdom, huh?"

Clovis smiled to hide the sting to his pride. "But it is a kingdom nonetheless. Now you be a good girl and show me some respect. I am a Termnnian Prince after all."

"That's right!" said the blue-haired boy. "Prince Clovis has the opportunity to join Prince Yuri in the Royal Termnnian Table of Rassay. All he has to do is be the best Duelist in Duelist Academy, which he's already been accepted to. You should know he's already been placed in Obelisk Blue."

"Oooh, Obelisk Blue," said Cora. "I'm going there, too. So it's no big deal. Actually, it doesn't matter what dorm I'm placed in. I'm going to be the best no matter what."

A Duelist with long, serrated, red hair laughed and crossed his arms. "No doubt your daddy had to pay to get you that opportunity. Prince Clovis here is getting in through skill and hard work."

The boy with the shaved head nodded. "Yeah, and you have lots of other Duelists to contend with there. Clovis is the best of the best, but you've also got to deal with the likes of Zane Truesdale, Jaden Yuki the Academy Ace, and Yugi Muto the King of Games, who is said to be going back to school there to learn about Link Summoning. Not to mention Prince Yuri. He's going to be the High King of Termnnia, meaning he's going to have the God Cards. You mean to tell me you can take them out."

Cora shrugged. "My father has beaten one before. So has Yugi. How hard can it be? If they can do it, I can do it. The God Cards don't scare me."

Clovis's friends burst out laughing.

Prince Clovis held out his hands and bobbed them up and down. "Quiet. Quiet, please," he said calmly. "Your pretentiousness shows no boundaries, Cora. You really are your father's daughter alright. It's about time you got an attitude adjustment."

Cora scoffed. "What? You going to spank me or something?"

"An enticing proposition. But no. I want to see your Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Rumor has it Seto has given them to you."

"Sorry, but he hasn't. If I'm to have those babies in my deck, I've got to earn them. And the only way I can do that is by impressing my father, which is a daunting task in of itself. To do that I have to Duel."

"Oh, I'll impress him, alright," Clovis said, snapping his fingers. Someone brought him a Duel Disk that looked like a giant claymore made of silver. He had to hold it with both hands. However, the chestplate he wore served as a hub to hold his deck. "I'll defeat you so badly, he'll pity you so much that he'll have no choice but to give you those dragons."

"That's not going to be easy," Cora said, holding up her deck. "My father built this deck for me. It may not have the Blue-Eyes, but it's full of some of the rarest and most powerful dragons in the game."

"I have no doubt the deck your father made you is strong. But what good is the deck if the Duelist wielding it is pathetic?"

Cora held out her hand and transformed the Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon ring into a Duel Disk. It glittered and the crystals inlaid on the trim cast rainbow hues in the light of the stadium.

"I'm not pathetic. I'll show you what for."

"Impress me then."

**LP 4000**

"I'll start first," said Clovis. "I set a monster face-down and end my turn."

"My turn," said Cora. "Draw! I summon Infernal Dragon in attack mode!" She slapped the card on her Duel Disk and summoned her beast. It stood ten feet tall and was colored dark green with a bright lime green underbelly. Spikes adorned its arms, legs, and back. The spikes at the end of his tail formed a trident to be used as a deadly weapon.

**ATK/2000 DEF/0**

** **

"Infernal Dragon, attack!" Cora commanded the beast.

Infernal Dragon roared and flapped his wings, taking flight as he created a fierce gust of wind. He puffed out his chest and launched a fireball of black flames at the face-down monster. It was M-Warrior #1.

"I end my turn," said Cora. "Not so pathetic now, am I?"

"Oh, I think you are," laughed Clovis.

Infernal Dragon let out a painful roar and then exploded. Cora grunted, shielding herself from the hot blast with her arm. When the smoke cleared, Infernal Dragon was gone.

"Huh? Hey? Where did he go?"

The boy with the red hair laughed. "You clutz. Don't you know Infernal Dragon destroys itself after battle? Goddesses above, what would your father have to say if he saw you make that blunder?"

Cora examined the card and felt stupid when she read the text. He did destroy himself after battle. However, if she had another monster on the field, she could sacrifice it and bring Infernal Dragon back. But, she had none and she left herself wide open for attack.

"My turn," said Clovis. "My, my. How inept of you, Cora. Here I was thinking you would provide a challenge for me. Especially after all that talk. My turn. I draw. Ah, perfect. I play the spell, Silent Doom. This card allows me to bring back a monster from my Graveyard. However, it stays in defense position and cannot attack."

M-Warrior rose out of the ground. He was kneeling and had his arms crossed over his chest.

"No harm done," said Cora. "I mean, he can't do much alone."

"Oh, but he's not alone, little Cora. "Not after I play this. Polymerization. I fuse together M-Warrior #1 and M-Warrior #2 to create Karbonala Warrior!"

The two M-Warriors jumped into a swirling vortex that formed over the arena. Out from the vortex appeared a handsome knight in purple armor, wielding a magic sword and a shield to match his armor.

**ATK/1500 DEF/1200**

** **

"Attack, my monster!" shouted Clovis.

Karbonala Warrior grunted and lept towards Cora, he slashed her across the chest, knocking her flat on her back.

"Ow!" Cora shouted. Her Life Points plummeted to 2500. She got back up to her feet. "Lucky shot."

"As if," sneered Clovis. "I set a card face-down. It's your move."

"That won't happen again, I promise you that!" Cora said breathing heavily. "I draw. Yes. I summon Alexandrite Dragon!" She summoned a dragon covered with jewels. With an ATK of 2000, Alexandrite Dragon had more than enough power to take down Karbonala Warrior."

"Attack his monster, Alexandrite Dragon!" Cora commanded her beast.

Alexandrite Dragon shot glittery, white-colored flames from its mouth, which animated to form into the likeness of a dragon that let out a loud screech.

"I think not," laughed Clovis. "Reveal face-down card. Inspiration."

"What!" Cora cried.

"Inspiration is a rare trap card that can increase the attack of one of my monsters by seven hundred points. Now, Karbonala Warrior's attack increases to twenty-two-hundred, giving him the strength he needs to slay your dragon."

Karbonala Warrior held up his sword. The magic steel absorbed the flaming dragon lighting the blade like a torch. He swung towards Alexandrite Dragon and cut off its head with one powerful swipe.

**Cora - LP 2300**

**Clovis - LP 4000**

"Attack, my monster!" shouted Clovis.

Karbonala Warrior grunted and lept towards Cora, he slashed her across the chest, knocking her flat on her back.

"Ow!" Cora shouted. Her Life Points plummeted to 2500. She got back up to her feet. "Lucky shot."

"As if," sneered Clovis. "I set a card face-down. It's your move."

"That won't happen again, I promise you that!" Cora said breathing heavily. "I draw. Yes. I summon Alexandrite Dragon!" She summoned a dragon covered with jewels. With an ATK of 2000, Alexandrite Dragon had more than enough power to take down Karbonala Warrior."

"Attack his monster, Alexandrite Dragon!" Cora commanded her beast.

Alexandrite Dragon shot glittery, white-colored flames from its mouth, which animated to form into the likeness of a dragon that let out a loud screech.

"I think not," laughed Clovis. "Reveal face-down card. Inspiration."

"What!" Cora cried.

"Inspiration is a rare trap card that can increase the attack of one of my monsters by seven hundred points. Now, Karbonala Warrior's attack increases to twenty-two-hundred, giving him the strength he needs to slay your dragon."

Karbonala Warrior held up his sword. The magic steel absorbed the flaming dragon lighting the blade like a torch. He swung towards Alexandrite Dragon and cut off its head with one powerful swipe.

**Cora - LP 2300**

**Clovis - LP 4000**

"A perfect score as always," Clovis boasted. "Are you through?"

Cora shook her head. She set two cards without a word and ended her turn.

"Cat got your tongue, Cora? Don't worry. This will all be over soon. I summon Marauding Captain who lets me summon Command Knight. This lovely warrior will increase the attack of all my warriors by four-hundred points. It's over, Cora. I attack with my monsters."

Cora held out her hand. "I activate my face-down card. Negate Attack. This will stop your monsters' attacks. I'm safe."

Clovis clapped slowly. "For now, Cora. But please, go on. I do enjoy putting you in your place."

"I draw!" Cora yelled. "Okay. Here goes. I'm done playing around. I activate the spell, Polymerization. Now, I fuse together Lord of Dragons with Divine Dragon Ragnarok to create the all-powerful, King Dragun!"

**ATK/2400 DEF/1100**

"Oh!" Clovis and his friends gasped in wonder at Cora's new monster. He had the upper body of a giant Lord of Dragons, but his body was that of Divine Dragon Ragnarok's, a massive serpentine dragon. He had black wings and a cloudy collar. He held a flute in his hand.

"Once per turn," Cora explained, "I can Special Summon a Dragon from my hand. Say hello to Tyrant Dragon!"

King Dragun blew on his Flute of Summoning Dragon and called out a colossal-sized dragon out of a divine arcane glyph. It towered over the field and its wings spread over the width of the stadium. The membranes were royal blue adding to the majesty of the beast and its body was brownish-gold with a few solid gold scales shimmering here and there on its legs and tail. A pair of meter-long ivory horns protruded from his head and inlaid at the center of his skull was a brilliant opal.

** **

**ATK/2900 DEF/2500**

"Oh no!" cried Clovis.

King Dragun attacked first. He took a deep breath and shot fire from his mouth, burning Karbonola Warrior to cinders and dealing 1000 points of damage to Clovis's Life Points. Tyrant Dragon was next and incinerated Marauding Captain. With his effect, he could attack again and then destroyed Command Knight for a grand total of 3100 points of damage.

**Cora - LP 2200**

**Clovis - LP 900**

"No way!" shouted the boy with red hair. "Clovis is going to lose."

The Duel caught the attention of the other students. They dropped what they were doing and hurried around the arena to watch the Duel.

"I haven't lost yet!" shouted Clovis. "I draw." He gritted his teeth. He didn't like what he got, but it was better than nothing. It was a huge gamble, but if he stacked his deck right, he would hopefully draw what he needed.

"I activate Graceful Charity. This allows me to draw three cards and discard two. Yes. Perfect. I play the spell, Card of Sanctity. This will allow us to draw until we have six cards in our hands. But it doesn't matter what you have, Cora, for this match is mine. The cards I discarded with Graceful Charity were Dark Blade and D.D Warrior Lady. A Light monster and a Dark Monster. Now, I banish them to summon a warrior without peer. A monster so rare that only a few were ever printed. Behold the envoy of your destruction. Come forth and unleash your fury on this plebian! Black Luster Soldier- Envoy of the Beginning!"

Cora gasped. "No! Not him!"

"You've heard of him I see," Clovis sneered. "Well, now it's time you saw him up close and personal."

A white, chaotic, arcane glyph hovered over the field and shot a beam of light from the center. When the beam dissolved, it revealed the warrior in blackish-blue armor trimmed with gold. He had a reddish-brown plume on his helmet and carried a massive sword and shield.

**Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning**

**ATK/3000 DEF/2500**

** **

Go, my soldier! Destroy her pathetic dragons! Unleash your fury!"

Black Luster Soldier held out his blade. FLASH! A white streak flew around Cora's dragons. Right after Cora was done blinking, Black Luster Soldier appeared back in his position. His sword, however, was dripping with hot dragon blood.

White flashes streaked all over the two dragons. They roared in agony and exploded. Cora finally realized that Black Luster Soldier moved so fast his strikes were slow. But that couldn't be. Nothing could move that fast.

Her Life Points fell to 1500. She was still in the lead, but with a monster as rare and powerful as Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning out in play, what was the point of going on?

"Just admit defeat, Cora. You were never supposed to be here. You were never a Kaiba. You will never be a Kaiba. I hope you enjoyed your time here. But this is only an establishment for the best of the best."

Cora shook her head. "If I lose it won't be because I surrendered. I'm going to keep going. So long as I have Life Points, I'm going to keep on playing. So long as I still have nine tries left, I'll keep getting better. I'm not going to quit until I've earned the right to call myself Kaiba. I draw."

She held the card up, not wanting to look at it. Cora exhaled softly and looked at the card. She smiled. "It's over."

"Indeed it is," said Clovis. "You played an okay, game, Cora, but it's not good enough."

"No. It's over for you. In my Graveyard, I have Infernal Dragon and Alexandrite Dragon. A Light monster and a Dark monster." She looked up at him and smiled. "I'm sure you can do the rest."

Clovis already figured her out. "No. W-wait. You're bluffing. I doubt even Seto Kaiba would even give you something that powerful. I know he has it, too, but there's no way he'd give it to the likes of you."

"Find out for yourself," Cora said, showing him the beast. The Envoy of the End. Chaos Emperor Dragon.

"No! She does have it! No! No! It can't be! It can't be! I don't wanna. You...you can't!"

"I banish my two monsters of Light and Darkness from the field and summon my beast. Go Chaos Emperor Dragon-Envoy of the End!"

Another chaotic glyph appeared over the field. It shot a beam of light from the center. From the beam, a carpet of flames ignited Cora's side of the field. From the flames emerged the beast. His scales were brilliant turquoise and glittered underneath plates of armor made of silver steel. Long, flaming, orange hair flowed from the back of his head and underneath his helmet. Bright red eyes lit the darkness underneath his helmet, covering most of his skull. He snarled, spread his massive wings, and roared.

**Chaos Emperor Dragon-Envoy of the End**

**ATK/3000 DEF/2500**

** **

"It doesn't matter!" said the boy with the shaved head. "They're evenly matched. They'll destroy each other if they do battle."

"I think not," said Cora. "Sorry to disappoint you but our monsters aren't going to fight. At least not today. If you're ever up for a rematch, Clovis, I'm game. But today, victory belongs to me. I pay one thousand of my Life Points to activate Chaos Emperor Dragon's effect. He will destroy every card in our hands and on the field and inflict three hundred points of damage to your Life Points for each card sent to the Graveyard. Thanks to your Card of Sanctity, we both have a decent number of cards in our hands."

Chaos Emperor Dragon shot golden flames from his mouth and blanketed the field with fire. Black Luster Soldier cried out in agony and was shattered to pieces. Chaos Emperor Dragon shot a fireball at Clovis before he destroyed himself. Clovis was struck hard by the blast and was knocked out of the arena where he landed on his friends. They fell in a messy pile on the floor, squirming and groaning.

"I win," said Cora.

She heard clapping from behind her. She turned and saw Ms. Goldwine cheering and jumping up and down with glee. The other students slowly began to applaud Cora for her performance as well.

Clovis pushed and shoved his way out of the pile of friends. He balled his fists and growled. "This isn't over, Cora. You just wait and see."

"Phew," Cora said. She jumped out of the arena. "You're late."

"Forgive me, Ms. Cora," Ms. Goldwine said, embracing her.

"Ack! Ack!" Cora groaned. "You're crushing me."

"You can't fault me for being excited," Ms. Goldwine said, letting go of Cora. "This is your first victory. We must go to celebrate. What would you like, my dear? Ice cream? Pizza? New cards."

"Right now, I'd settle for my bed. I'm bushed, Ms. Goldwine. But I'll take you up on that offer. I can't wait to tell my father about this."

"Oh, I'll bet he'll be so proud."

* * *

"Is this supposed to impress me?" Kaiba said, shutting off the footage on his phone. "That was pathetic."

Cora balled her fists. Her lips trembled. She turned and stormed out of her father's office. She slammed the door behind her, knocking down picture frames and shaking a few trophies on the shelf nearby.

"But, sir," said Ms. Goldwine. "She defeated a rare Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the End. You must give her some credit."

Kaiba scoffed. "Credit? She almost lost the match. She won through sheer dumb luck. Prince Clovis almost had her beat. Had she not drawn the Chaos Emperor I gave her, she would never have won that match. If Cora wants to impress me, she has to win her Duels through skill, not luck. If she wants to learn about luck, she should pack her bags and learn from the Wheeler clan. I have a lot of things to do and Cora has homework to finish. See that she finishes it before the night is through, Ms. Goldwine. I will not allow procrastination to become a habit for her."

"Yes, sir," Ms. Goldwine said, turning away.

Back in Cora's room, Ms. Goldwine found herself leaning against the bathroom door listening to Cora rant in the shower.

"What more does he want from me?" she shouted, sliding her hands down her scalp. "It's like he doesn't want me to be here."

"I'm sure he does, Ms. Cora. Mr. Kaiba is a very strict man. He is very proud of this House and wants nothing but the best from it. He wants the best for you."

"Because overworking me and ridiculing every achievement I make is really going to help me improve."

"Well, it was one match, Ms. Cora. We have a long way to go to reach that goal your father has set for you. And as much as I hate to agree with him, he's right. That boy almost had you beat. You must practice a bit more."

"I will," Cora said turning off the stall. She came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Her eyes were red with weep.

"Don't cry, Ms. Cora. It's going to be okay."

"I'm not crying!" Cora insisted, she gently pushed Ms. Goldwine aside. "I got shampoo in my eyes. I'm not a baby, geez!" She hurried to the dressing screen beside her bed to change into her nightgown.

"Well. Tomorrow is a new day."

"New day, same shit," Cora said coming out from behind the screen. She sat down on the edge of her bed. Thunder rumbled outside. Rain splashed against the glass walls of her suite.

Ms. Goldwine tapped her foot on the ground. "I understand your pain, Ms. Cora. But use foul language in front of me again and I'll wash your mouth out with soap. You are to be a lady of House Kaiba. And ladies do not use foul language."

Ms. Goldwine walked to the night table by Cora's bed and picked up a brush crafted in the likeness of an Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon. She took off her high heels and sat behind Cora to brush her hair.

"Where on earth did you come from, Cora?" Ms. Goldwine asked.

"The road," Cora answered. "That's all I know."

"Your mother and your father? I'm sure you had a family before you started wandering."

"I don't know if I had one," said Cora. "It's sort of strange. I feel like I was born not too long ago. Like Woosh, I find myself walking on the road going nowhere. I know this sounds silly, but I feel like I wasn't even born."

"You couldn't have come out of thin air, Ms. Cora."

"Barbara, please. Enough with the Ms. Cora stuff. Just call me Cora."

Ms. Goldwine pursed her lips. "If that is what you wish, Cora. But going back to this business of yours. You didn't just come out of thin air. You had to have come from somewhere."

"Maybe I did. Maybe I did have parents. But if they were callous enough to toss me out as a baby, then they never loved me. No one ever did."

Ms. Goldwine chuckled. "I do. I think you're wonderful. And you're very beautiful. You'll make a fine addition to House Kaiba, mark my words, Cora. Not even Yugi Muto would dare cross you."

"You really think so?" Cora asked.

"Of course, I do, Cora. You can do anything. You know, Mr. Kaiba was like you. Abandoned by his parents. Alone, save for the company of his little brother. He had nothing. No gold in his pockets or a Gokibore for a card. Until Gozaburo Kaiba came along. He took them in. Believe me, it was not easy for Seto to adapt and fulfill the wishes his father had. But, he had his head high up to the sky and defeated him. And look what he has today. A bigger empire than his father could ever dream about. The Daltons may be the royal family here, but this city, this country, perhaps even the continent, all bow down to the might of Kaiba Corp. A God Card once obeyed him."

"So I heard," said Cora. "Maybe I'll wield one, too."

"Perhaps you will," said Ms. Goldwine. "But for now, you need to pass your history exam."

"I was afraid you'd say that."

* * *

**Cora's Vlog**

Using the camera mounted on her Duel Disk, Cora uploaded the highlights of her match with Clovis online on her Binder page, a social media hub just for Duelists to upload their own content and vids of their matches. After she did, Cora sat in front of her computer and turned on the webcam to record her first entry. She tossed her hair back and made sure her Stardust Dragon pendant hanging over her chest was in full view.

"Hey, guys, Cora here. I know a lot of you may have some questions as to who I am and why some of the teachers at school have planted Kaiba as my surname. Well, I'm not really a Kaiba."

She picked up the camera and panned it around to give her viewers a look at her fancy room, then she sets it back down.

"I didn't expect all of this. And in all honestly, I think this happened so, so quickly. But I'm not complaining. It's a lot better than what I had before. And lemme tell ya, that's not a life I want to go back to. I don't know what Seto Kaiba saw in me. I still don't know and I aim to figure it out. I haven't done anything special in my whole life. Apparently he says those three copies of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon started to glow when I entered the diner he so happened to be in. Call it fate, destiny, I really don't know. But, it happened and here I am. I did a little research some time ago and learned that cards sometimes have a knack for choosing their owners. I heard about Jesse Anderson and the Crystal Beasts or Jack Atlas and the Red Dragon Archfiends. Some cards were just meant for us."

She shrugs her shoulders and raises an eyebrow.

"And I guess...well, those copies called out to me. Or so Seto believes. And that's how I got here. However, I don't have them in my deck yet. Seto put out a mythic raid-level achievement on me that I have to accomplish in order to play with those cards. But it's not all a big loss. He did build me a deck with some sweet dragons, one of whom is the badass Chaos Emperor Dragon -Envoy of the End. Like wow! Totally cool! I heard only a few of those cards were ever made. And I have one. Yaaaay! He came in handy today. I just nailed my first win at school!"

She waves her hands and cheers.

"Woooo! I look forward to many more great Duels in the future. So look, guys. The requirement I must fulfill in order to get my dragons is...win 1000 duels. Yeah, no kidding. He's really got it in for me. So, I guess you can say I'm issuing an open challenge to anyone at school. So if you wanna play, just send me a PM and we'll set up a match. I look forward to playing against y'all. Have a good night and see you tomorrow."

* * *

**The Lore of House Kaiba**

* * *

**Queen Pharmellica Rosenkruz:** _**This hot-headed princess was born on February 21st in the year 2200 2AOS. The daughter of King Oberex Rosenkruz the XIII, she would be known as the Renegade Rosenkruz and, more notoriously - The Princess who Failed.**_

_ **Pharmellica was blessed with not one — but four Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Pharmellica was a great swordswoman and was deadly with a bow, slaughtering an untold number of Orcs during their siege of North Point in the year 2217. She was fast as the wind and had an enchanted sword that could shoot bolts of White Lighting from the blade with just a thought. Ever since she was a little girl, Princess Pharmellica Rosenkruz was taught to use a sword. At the age of 11, she rode into battle with her father in the Baron Wars of the Second Age. Still a child, Pharmelllica won her family numerous victories, thanks to her skills with the blade and the power of her four Blue-Eyes White Dragons. But she wanted more. Pharmellica wanted to become Queen. Her lust for power drove her to be greedy and impatient. On the eve of her 21st birthday, she pushed a boulder off a cliff, smashing it against the carriage where her father rode. Once she got back to the castle in Whitelanding, she dubbed herself Queen. But mere seconds after the crown was placed on her brow, her father burst through the doors, scratched and bloodied but ultimately unharmed. ** _

_ **King Oberex disavowed her from House Rosenkruz. Pharmellica did not care; for she believed that she alone had the power to rule over the continent, then ruled by High King Tiberius Pendragon the Ruler of Men, who ended the Baron Wars. Thinking her Blue-Eyes alone could grant her victory, she overthrew a lord and kicked him out of his castle and settled there, declaring herself Queen of the Cerulean Mountains. In her new hold, she began gathering an army of thousands, who were infatuated with her supreme beauty and fiery charisma. To hide her Vollanti heritage, Pharmellica dyed her hair into a peachy pink color and used a spell to turn her eyes bright green.** _

_ **When she decided her army was big enough, she marched against Tiberius, attacking him when he was living in his summer home with his wife. It would be the greatest mistake of her life. High King Tiberius had the power of Slifer, Obelisk, and Ra — the Divine Beasts of Termnnia. Using only Slifer, Tiberius repelled her attack and sent her home with only her Blue-Eyes surviving the assault.** _

_ **Shamed and alone, she cowered in her castle with her dragons as her only company. One night, an army of goblins began marching out of their caves, looking to expand their territory. They came across the castle and attacked. Pharmellica hoped her dragons would fend them off, but they abandoned her. Not out of fear of the goblins, but out of shame for their master. The dragons left her to her fate. Pharmellica fought the goblins alone for five days, but she was ultimately defeated. They looted her magic sword, stripped her naked, bound her neck and wrists with chains, and dragged her out of the castle. The goblins paraded their prize across the Askar Forest, marching for miles and miles before they took her to their subterranean fortress in the mountains. ** _

_ **She was never seen again. ** _


	5. Big Wave, Small Wave

Cora dashed out of class, relieved to be free of her Termnnian History class and more than eager to find herself a new opponent. Her victory against Prince Clovis was a solid victory. In fact, she beat the CRAP out of him, despite what her father said. Sure, she took some damage, but she was able to bring out her Chaos Emperor Dragon with ease. One would think that someone would have reached out to her by now to be friends, but she still had no luck. Perhaps they thought she was still some spoiled rich kid who needed her cards to carry her throughout the game. In a sense they were right. Cora had to admit she just dumped cards here and there, hoping one of them could give her a chance against Clovis. Maybe that's what her father was talking about. There was no way she could keep on winning if she played like that.

She sat down on the wall beside one of the rivers that flowed down the halls and took her deck out of her backpack. She needed to examine her cards, for she didn't want to make the same mistake she made yesterday. The incident with Infernal Dragon was nothing short of embarrassing. How could she have failed to see such an important part of her monster's effect? So, just to be on the safe side, she requested two more. That way, she could bring them back in a loop.

Someone stopped in front of her. "Who?" she asked.

"Here," said a young man with glasses. He handed her a rose. "I, uh, want to congratulate you for your win against Clovis yesterday. Good job."

Cora took it and placed it next to her. "Uh, thanks."

"Your welcome," the boy said. He made an awkward about-face and marched away.

Well, Cora thought, That was might mighty odd. She looked around, wondering who else was going to walk up to her with a rose. That was the fourth one today. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot on the ground impatiently. Seriously? No, she wanted an opponent, not a date. Well, she finally found one. It was one of the boys from Clovis's gang, the blue-haired boy who made fun of her for misusing Infernal Dragon. Cora learned that his name was Zachary (Duel Links). She saw him during her macroeconomics class giving her the evil eye. She had a feeling in her gut that he was asking for trouble. He was marching towards her at great speed, stamping his feet against the ground.

"You!" he said. He stopped in front of her and pointed at her. "You're the girl from yesterday. Cora Kaiba, correct."

"Yeah. Did Clovis send you?"

"No. He's licking his wounds, but trust me, he'll be back to get his revenge against you. In the meantime, I want to see your dragons for myself."

"If you want to," Cora said, sticking her deck back in her backpack. "Come on. Let's Duel." She got up and followed him.

"Oh, indeed," Zachary said. "I assure you things will not be like last time. I told Clovis not to use that Structure Deck to take you on."

"Structure Deck?"

"Yes, he just made a few additions to it. Well, one; that being his Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning. If he had used his real deck, you would have gotten the trouncing you so rightfully deserve. But you must agree to one condition."

"I'm listening."

"You are forbidden to use your Chaos Emperor Dragon. Deal?"

Cora smirked. "I see you're scared of him."

"Ha! I can take him if I wanted to. But there's talk around the school that you need him to carry your matches. This is your chance to prove them wrong."

"If you say so. But I agree to your terms. I'm not scared of you."

The arrived at an arena in the center of a rotunda with a painted glass ceiling above them. Wasting no time, they both got into position and began their match.

**LP 8000**

"You're going to regret becoming Seto Kaiba's little girl. Not even those dragons of yours are enough to make you a Duelist. Maybe you're something back him, little darling, but here in the big leagues, you don't belong. And I'll prove that to you. First off, remove the dragon from your deck. Hold it up so I can see it."

Cora opened up her deck and she picked up Chaos Emperor Dragon. She did as she was told and held it up.

"Excellent. Now be a good girl and put it in your deck case."

She did so, placing the dragon in the case strapped to her thigh.

"Now take it off. Come on. Chop, chop!"

Cora sighed, unstrapping the case and dropping it on the floor.

Zachary smiled. "Ladies first."

"How sweet," Cora said sarcastically. "I draw." She checked her hand. "I summon Infernal Dragon in attack mode!"

Fire swirled in front of her, forming a column. Her dark-green beast emerged from the flames, spreading his wings to put out the flames. Infernal Dragon roared and hovered next to Cora.

**ATK/2000 DEF/0**

"I end my turn."

"How pathetic," Zachary mocked her as he drew. "You really think that monster is enough to scare me? Watch this. I play the Spell Card, Water Hazard. This card allows me to special summon one Level 4 or lower monster. And here's Great White! But he will not stay for long. I sacrifice him to summon Orca, Mega-Fortress of Darkness!"

Waves churned behind him as though they were smacking against a rocky shore. Suddenly an eerie call echoed from behind them. Then out from the water emerged a gigantic Killer Whale with an iron fortress built onto its back.

**ATK/2100 DEF/1200**

"Attack her Infernal Dragon my monster!"

Orca hollered. Alarms wailed inside the fortress on its back and then a salvo of missiles shot out from its cannons and blasted Infernal Dragon to bits.

"NO!" Cora cried, shielding herself from the blast.

Zachary held out his arms and laughed. "You are finished, Cora. Your dragons are powerful, but many of them require two tributes to be summoned. Orca will not give you the chance to summon those monsters. He will blast your dragons away one by one. Go on, Cora. Make your move."

"I draw," said Cora. "I summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"Ha! Is that all, Cora. Draw. Oh, perfect. I play the card, A Legendary Ocean."

The windows behind Zachary, which normally displayed the cityscape of Domino, now showed an underwater world. A city beneath the sea now formed behind him. Fish and great whales slowly swam by.

"Now, thanks to this card, all Water monsters' levels will be reduced by one. And they will gain a 200 attack point boost."

**Orca**

**ATK/2100 (→2300) DEF/1200 (→1400)**

Now, I will summon the mighty Divine Dragon Aquabizzare!"

Waves splashed behind him again and then a tall serpent with glittery light-blue scales loomed out of the water, standing almost a hundred-feet-tall. A long, glowing, red appendage stuck out from the top of the creature's forehead. It let out a strange cry and waved its body from left to right as a form of intimidation.

**ATK/2100 (**→** 2300) DEF/1500(****→1800)**

"Oh, I am so fucked," Cora said, reeling back in terror at the size of the great serpent.

Zachary burst out laughing again. "Next, I will use the effect of my Water Hazard spell and summon Torpedo Fish. Now, here comes the fun part, my dear. When Orca, Mega-Fortress of Darkness is on the field, I can sacrifice my fish and destroy one monster on your side of the field!"

"Ooooo!" Cora groaned.

"LAUNCH TORPEDO FISH!" shouted Zachary.

Orca fired the fish from one of the launchers on the deck of the fortress. It whistled through the air and smashed into Cora's Blackland Fire Dragon, leaving her wide open for a direct attack.

"Now, Orca and Divine Dragon Aquabizzare, attack her directly!"

Orca fired a salvo of missiles at Cora. She crossed her arms over her head and braced for impact. She screamed as the missiles rained down on her, causing the ground to shake violently, almost knocking her off balance. Then, Divine Dragon Aquabizzare flew into action and launched a wave of glowing water at Cora. The impact of the wave knocked Cora off her feet and sent her flying across the arena. She landed on her back with a smack and rolled to a stop. Her Life Points plummeted to 3400.

"I told you, Cora. You stand no chance against me. You think because your daddy gave you expensive dragon monsters that you have the right to be here. Look at you. You're all washed up. Haha. Get it? I'm going to prove to everyone at school that your victory against Clovis was nothing more than just a...fluke." He pointed up at Orca's tail."

"Oh, shut up," Cora said standing up. "It's not over yet. I summon Assault Wyvern in attack mode!"

She placed the card on her Duel Disk and summoned a dragon with a sleek metal design and bladed wings.

**ATK/1800**

"Next, I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"I've seen this before," Zachary said. "You wouldn't have placed your Wyvern out if one of those cards isn't a trap. Well, I'll make you pay for thinking you can fool me with that trick. I use the effect of my Water Hazard card to special summon Cannonball Spear Shellfish. Again, this card can pop one of your cards when Orca is on the field. This time, it can destroy a spell or trap. And I choose the left one. Statistics say that the first card a Duelist sets is usually the one they are counting on. Well, let's see if the numbers are correct. FIRE!"

Orca launched the shellfish and it destroyed Cora's face-down card. Mirror Force.

Zachary allowed himself a cruel laugh. "You see?" he said. "I just knew it. I've been playing this game far too long to fall for these kinds of tricks, Cora. Now, I summon Terrorking Salmon in attack mode! He's a Level Five monster, but thanks to A Legendary Ocean, his level gets reduced by one."

"Ugh!" Cora groaned, seeing that the giant, armored salmon had 2400 attack points. Add the 200 points from the Field Power Bonus, and it was at 2600.

"It's over, Cora. I attack your Assault Wyvern."

"I was hoping you'd do that," Cora said with a smirk.

"You what!?"

"I activate my second trap! Wall of Disruption!"

"NO! Now my monsters' attack will be reduced by 800 for each one I have on the field!"

"Damn right. You have three, so your monsters will lose 2400 attack points. Orca's attack is reduced to 0."

Assault Wyvern dodged the missile salvo and then dove towards Orca, slicing his face ten times with his bladed tail. Zachary cringed as his Life Points were reduced to 6200.

"And now that my Wyvern has destroyed your monster in battle, I can activate its special ability. I can tribute it to special summon a dragon from my hand. Go, Tyrant Dragon!"

Flames erupted in front of Cora, and from them, her beast majestically rose up and spread its wings, almost as long as the rotunda itself. His tail wrapped around behind Cora as if to shield her. He stamped his massive forearms on the ground and roared.

**ATK/2900 DEF/2500**

"No! No! No! Ugh. I switch Salmon and Aquabizzare to defense mode and end my turn."

"Now it's my turn. I will now sacrifice my dragon to summon the mighty Strong Wind Dragon!"

Tyrant Dragon was consumed by a column of green flames. They dispersed to reveal a muscular green dragon with long shriveled wings and a yellow underbelly.

**ATK/2400 DEF/1000**

"You fool!" Zachary said with a laugh. "Why would you sacrifice your stronger monster for something weaker?"

"Zachy-Zach, just how dumb do you think I am? Strong Wind Dragon's effect activates. When the monster that's used to tribute summon him is a dragon monster, he gains half of that dragon's attack points."

**ATK/3850**

"OH NO! Now he's stronger than Tyrant Dragon."

"That's right! And now I attack your Terrorking Salmon with him! Oh, and don't think that just because he's in defense that your Life Points are safe. Strong Wind Dragon can inflict damage to you regardless."

Strong Wind Dragon flew into the air and unleashed a jet of green fire at the salmon, dealing 2850 points of damage to Zachary. He yelled as his Life Points dropped to 3350.

"Now I'm in the lead," Cora boasted.

Zachary laughed. "You think you've turned things around, have you? We'll just see about that. I sacrifice Divine Dragon Aquabizzare to summon the mighty Levia-Dragon Daedalus!"

Aquabizzare started glowing and then burst, his energy was used to summon an armored leviathan from the deepest depths of the ocean. A creature from the beginning of time. It rose out of the ground, revealing itself to Cora. He was massive, almost as long as a city block and standing tall at fifty feet.

**ATK/2600 DEF/1500**

"Now, I know what you're thinking? How can he expect to use this beast as the trump card to turn things around, eh? He's weaker than my dragon, you're probably thinking. Well, he isn't. It's his next form that should have you quaking in your boots, girl. I tribute Levia-Dragon Daedalus to summon the ultimate beast of the seas. Ocean Dragon Lord - Neo Daedalus!"

Daedalus started growing even taller and longer. Tall spines and a red sail soon formed on its back and it grew a second head. More armor and sails and fins appeared on its body. Once the transformation was complete, it loomed over Cora and let out a loud shriek.

**ATK 2900 (**→** 3100) DEF/1600 (**→** 1800)**

"Not strong enough," said Cora.

"You're a fool if you think his attack points are everything. I use his special ability. By destroying a Umi field spell, I can destroy all cards on the field and in our hands."

"Well, thank goodness you don't have Umi."

"Fool! A Legendary Ocean is treated as Umi! Now, my beast, destroy everything!"

Ocean Dragon Lord used the power of the ocean at its fullest, conjuring a tsunami that cleansed the field of Cora's monster and all the cards in their hands. To Cora's horror, Ocean Dragon Lord was still on the field. She bit her lip nervously, sweat came out of every pore on her body, and her panties wedged helplessly up the crack of her butt as she braced for a world of hurt. 2900 points of damage were heading her way. The beast summoned a tsunami that smashed into her and reduced her Life Points to a mere 500 Life Points.

"It's over, Cora. You have no cards in your hand and I have the most powerful monster on the field. It's over, Cora. There's nothing you can do. Just surrender."

"I draw," Cora said. Or she tried to. She just didn't have the confidence she needed to draw anything that could turn things around.

"Go ahead. It will do you no good."

_Come on, deck. I heard that if I placed all my faith in you that you'd come through for me. _

Cora took a deep breath and placed her fingertips on the card. Pot of Greed. Well, now the fate of this Duel rode on two cards. Maybe that would give her the chance she needed. She drew the first one. A spell card. And when she touched the second card, she froze, feeling the powers of light and darkness surge through her body. "Oh my!" she gasped. She drew her card and smiled.

_Could he be right? Could the guy who beat my dad speak the truth about the Heart of the Cards? _

"Let's see your last pathetic card, Cora!"

"Pathetic? No. This card is anything but pathetic. From my Graveyard, I banish Light and Darkness monsters."

"Ah, ah, ah! Remember our deal, Cora? You cannot use your Chaos Emperor Dragon, remember?"

Cora giggled. "It's not him."

"What? Is it the Black Luster Soldier?"

"No, not even close. This is another beast born from chaos. You didn't say anything about not using him. This one requires three monsters though."

"Three?"

"Yes. I banish Infernal Dragon, Blackland Fire Dragon, and Alexandrite Dragon to summon Chaos Dragon Levianeer!"

"Levianeer!"

A bright light burst behind Cora, turning her into nothing more than a silhouette. Zachary held his arm up over his eyes to shield them from the light. He then heard a mighty roar thundering from it. The silhouette of Cora's new monster appeared overhead and spread its wings. The silhouette was then lit up with turquoise neon. Then the light faded to reveal the beast in its entirety.

**ATK/3000 DEF/0**

"What monstrosity is this!" Zachary shouted.

"The one who's going to lead me to victory. See, he has different kinds of effects depending on what I banished to summon him. Since I used both Light and Dark monsters to summon him, I got to up to two cards on the field. And I have my eyes set on just one."

"NO, WAIT!"

Chaos Dragon Levianeer flapped its odd wings and fired a teal-colored laser from its mouth and blasted Neo Daedalus to pieces, leaving Zachary wide open for an attack. Levianeer shot another laser, hitting Zachary in the chest and knocking him flat on his back. His Life Points fell to the last 350.

"You're not out of the woods yet," said Cora. "Now, I use my spell card. Dragon's Gun Fire. When I have a dragon on the field, I can inflict 800 points of damage to your Life Points."

"This can't be!"

He was hit again with Levianeer's laser blast and his Life Points beeped down to 0.

Chaos Dragon Levianeer spread his wings and roared triumphantly before disappearing.

"Two..." Zachary muttered. "She...she has two of them! Two chaos dragons. It...it can't be."

Cora smiled and turned around, marching out of the arena.


	6. Big, Beefy Dragons

"In the year 220 First Age of the Sun, Norman the Conqueror led his troops to the frozen nation of Riftgaard to conquer the...anyone? Anyone? The Snowmen of the Blue Mountains otherwise known as the...Class? Anyone? Anyone? The Berja. Now the Berja's creation was a side project of the Goddess...anyone? Anyone? Elza the Goddess of Winter. Now Norman the Conqueror's campaign into Riftgaard proved difficult not just because of the cold, harsh environment of Riftgaard but because of the...anyone? Anyone? The Dragons of the Ice Barrier. Class, does anyone know the names of these dragons? Anyone? Anyone? They were known as Trishula, Brionac, and Gungnir the Dragons of the Ice Barrier. Now they were under control of...class? Anyone? Anyone? It says in numerous scrolls uncovered by recent archeological digs that they were under the command of Princess Fjotra the Cold who was one of the first Dragon Summoners to ever appear in Termnnia. Despite Princess Fjotra and her dragons, it was thanks to these three monsters that Norman the Conqueror was able to successfully bring the Berja to the knees and become part of the great kingdom. Does anyone know who these three monsters are? Class? Anyone? Anyone? Slifer, Obelisk, and Ra. The Something Beasts? The Divine Beasts."

Professor Stein the Boring looked up at the clock and adjusted his glasses. "Okay, that wraps up today's lesson. Professor Proudfoot will be back on Friday from his holiday. However, if you have any questions, I'll be in my office all week until five. Have a good day class."

How can anyone be so boring? Cora wondered as she ran as fast as she could to get out of the classroom. She couldn't wait for her real history professor to come back from his vacation. Seriously, though, who would take a vacation during the beginning of a semester? She had a feeling that the headmistress was a little too lenient with the staff. A little too nice some say.

"Have you made any friends yet?" Ms. Goldwine asked over the phone.

"Zip," said Cora, leaning against a column. "I don't know, Barbra. I feel like everybody around here hates me. It doesn't help that I beat the Rank One Duelist in the school either. Everyone says I never would have won if it wasn't for my father's help. They say I need all these powerful dragons to carry my matches for me. And that I have no skill."

"That's absurd," said Barbra. "Dragons like that are not easy to summon to a beginner, let me tell you that. You've been able to summon yours with the greatest of ease. That takes some skill, Cora. I'd like to see them summon dragons as quickly as you can."

"It's not all that hard to do. Any idiot can summon them."

"Then they shouldn't be complaining. Then again, sometimes all they do is complain. Don't let them bring you down, my sweet. Get out there and Duel your hardest. You want those Blue-Eyes White Dragons, don't you?"

"More than anything. Something told Seto to make those extra three cards, and I have a feeling they were made for me. He said so himself. They started glowing and called out to me. I want those dragons." She looked around. "And so do everyone else around here. You know a few people came up to me and proposed to buy them from me?"

"Well, they're not for sale. And they won't go to anyone else but you. They want you, Cora. It's your job to show Kaiba why they desire you so much."

Cora smiled and chuckled. "Yeah. Hopefully, that's soon. A thousand wins is a lot. It's my third day and I've only got two victories. This is progressing really slow." She looked at the clock. "Hey, Miss Goldwine, I've got to go. I've got physical education in a few minutes."

"Ah, excellent. You need some exercise these days."

"I decided to join the swim team, too. I'll be trying out next week."

"Oh, lovely. Swimming is good for the body." She chuckled. "I hate to be crude, Miss Cora, but you've got a good form. See to it that you keep it."

Cora laughed. "All right, I will. See you."

She hung up and took the train to one of the highest towers of the academy. She saw a gymnasium that looked fit enough for a big athletic competition. She must have been early, for there were few people here. She hurried to a window to pay for her membership and her uniform. The lady behind the window slid Cora's new card through a slit and then gave Cora her uniform wrapped in a white paper package. Before she went to the locker room to change, she sprinted towards the registration desk for the Rosenkruz Academy swim team. All she needed was to undergo a physical examination after school and maintain a 3.0 GPA, and she would be set.

She went to the locker room to change. Her uniform consisted of a white and cerulean shirt with navy blue shorts. There was a box inside her locker with dark blue and white athletic sneakers. On top of the box, there was a note that said it was a gift from Uncle Mokuba.

"Nice," Cora said slipping them on.

She hurried to the gym and began her workout. As she was doing squats, she heard someone laughing behind her. No doubt there was some creep looking at her posterior. She put earbuds on to drown out the noise but the guy watching her was in a position where she could see him in the mirror wall in front of her. He was big and strong, his arms were well-toned and his tank top was shriveled up, barely covering his form.

"Nice peach ya got there," he said insensitively.

Enough was enough. She turned around and looked at him, placing her hands on her hips. "What's your problem, asshole?"

"Problem?" he asked, lifting a dumbbell with his right arm. "Naw, girl, there's no problem. From what I can see, everything is absolutely perfect. So, you're the gal who beat my friend, Clovis. I was hoping to look for you after school, but low and behold, here you are in front of me."

"Challenging me to a Duel?" Cora asked.

"You bet. I heard you got a deck of really shiny dragons. Mind if I see 'em?"

"Just name the time and place."

"Right here, right now," said the guy. "Name's Tyler by the way. It's been a while since a girl took this school by storm the way you did. But it's time for all that to end."

Tyler set his equipment down and cleaned it before leading Cora to an arena next to a window with a grand view of the city below. She could see the Kaiba Towers from where she was.

**LP 4000**

"Let's get this show on the road!" Tyler said, morphing his watch into a custom Duel Disk. "You first."

"All right. Draw! I use Graceful Charity. Now I draw three cards and discard two. Next, I summon a monster in defense mode. Next, I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"That's it? I play Polymerization, fusing Time Wizard and Baby Dragon to create the all-powerful, Thousand Dragon!"

A tall, lumbering beast formed in front of Tyler. The dragon stood tall and growled. It had a tired look on its face, showing its age, but it was still not a creature to be trifled with. Especially not with 2400 attack points. Upon looking at the dragon a name went through Cora's head. _Wheeler!_

"Attack, Thousand Dragon!"

Thousand Dragon's nostrils widened and he let out a cloud of noxious smoke that was going to choke her face-down monster.

"I don't think so! I activate Wall of Disruption!"

"FUCK!" Tyler shouted. "I hate that stupid card! Now my dragon loses 800 attack points!"

The gas attack blew around Cora's monster, an armored blue dragon with flaming accents called Flamvell Guard. It had 100 attack points but made up for it with its impressive 2000 DEF, hence the name Guard. Cora's trap weakened Thousand Dragon to 1600, giving Flamvell Guard the advantage. The smoke did nothing to him, but Tyler lost 400 of his Life Points, bringing him down to 3600.

"I end my turn."

"My turn," said Cora. "I tribute Flamvell Guard for Luster Dragon Number Two!"

Flamvell Guard was replaced by a dragon that stood taller than even Thousand Dragon. It spread its wings, and the sunlight reflected off its emerald body, casting green and rainbow hues on the walls around them.

**ATK/2400 DEF/1400**

"Now, I attack your Thousand Dragon with him!" Cora shouted. "Luster Dragon! Attack!"

Luster Dragon #2 attacked, releasing greenish-yellow flames from its mouth. Thousand Dragon growled and shattered to pieces, dealing 800 points of damage to Tyler. His Life Points went down to 2800.

"And now I activate the effect of my Keeper of the Shrine," said Cora. "When a Dragon-Type monster is destroyed in battle, I can special summon him."

She summoned an elderly man who was floating over the ground while his legs were crisscrossed. His arms were up as though he were channeling his energy. His body was scaly and bright red. He wore red bands over his biceps and a torn, gray skirt over his waist. A grizzled, white beard went down to his chest and his head was crowned with two, long, horns.

**ATK/0 DEF/2100**

"I end my turn."

"I draw," said Tyler. "Awesome! I play Swords of Revealing Light. This card will prevent you from attacking me for three whole turns."

Cora looked up. A rain of glowing swords fell from the sky and they landed all around her, trapping her in a cage.

Tyler breathed a sigh of relief. "That gives me enough time to figure out what to do. Your move."

Cora drew. She shook her head. "I choose to end my turn without playing a card."

"All right. My turn." Tyler looked at his card and sneered. "Check it out, baby! It's the Spell Card,** Hidden Treasure of the Red Dragon**! This card allows me to draw until I have five cards if there are at least five dragons on the field and in the Graveyard. And I count just enough." He happily refilled his hand. "Nice. Time to show you what my dragons can do, Cora. I activate the spell, Banner of Courage. This card can grant my monsters a 300 attack point boost. Next, I summon the mighty Lord of Dragons! Look familiar? He should, cuz I heard your daddy loved using this card back in the day. Now, I give him Flute of Summoning Dragon and special summon two dragons from my hand. Say hello to Gavi-Crush Dragon and Magna-Slash Dragon!"

Tyler held out his arms and laughed as the first dragon was summoned. It was a giant dragon with dark green flesh and chains wrapped around its wrists. Veins bulged on his thick, muscular arms and his fists were as large as wrecking balls.

**Gravi-Crush Dragon**

**ATK/2400 DEF/1200**

The wind blew fiercely forming a white tornado, then from it emerged a dragon with whitish-green scales and a white underbelly. It had wings growing out of his forearms in the shape of blades.

**Magna-Slash Dragon**

**ATK/2400 DEF/1200**

"Now, Magna-Slash Dragon attack that old geezer! Wings of the North Wind!"

Magna-Slash Dragon took flight and soared towards Keeper of the Shrine and slashed him across the chest. He howled and shattered.

"Now, I use my Gravi-Crush Dragon's special ability. I can pop a Continuous Spell Card and destroy one of your monsters. Gravi-Crush Dragon punched Luster Dragon int he chest. The emerald beast bellowed in agony and shattered. Then, Gravi-Crush Dragon smashed Cora for 2400 points, reducing her Life Points to 1600.

"Okay, Lord of Dragons, do your stuff!"

Lord of Dragons headed towards Cora with a single bound, but stopped when Keeper of the Shrine returned to the field."

"What's this?"

Cora rubbed her chest and wobbled her way back up. "When a dragon is destroyed by battle or card effect, Keeper of the Shrine can come back. I waited until just the right time to bring him back. Yeah, I took some damage, but it was well worth it."

"No matter. My two dragons are stronger than anything you can hope to play. And there aren't any Light or Darkness monsters in the Graveyard, so that means you can't count on your two Chaos Dragons for support." He sniggered, seeing the expression Cora made. He was right.

"I don't need them!" said Cora. "Trust me! I can handle myself without them. I hope." She drew. "All right. I play Trade-In. I discard a Level Eight monster and draw two cards. Now, I use the spell, Return of the Dragon Lords. This card will let me special summon a Dragon from my Graveyard and it's the one and only, Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand!"

"OH!" cried Tyler as a bright light engulfed the field.

When the light died down, a giant golden dragon hovered behind Cora. It snarled menacingly, and each time it flapped its massive wings, they glittered. The dragon sure caught the attention of the students. They stopped what they were doing and crowded around the arena to watch.

**ATK/2800 DEF/2800**

"Now, when Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand is revived from the Graveyard, I can choose a monster in yours and banish it. I choose your Thousand Dragon. Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand's attack points will increase by 100 times its level. So that's seven hundred points.

**ATK/ 2800 (** **➝ 3500)**

"Oh, man!" croaked Tyler. "Now he's super strong!"

"Damn right, he is. Now, for my Keeper of the Shrine. Remember how I told you taking that 2400 points of damage was worth it? Well, I'm about to prove why. Keeper of the Shrine can be used as two tributes. Keeper, thanks for your service. Now, allow me to use you to summon one of my mightiest dragons. Come forth, Tyrant Dragon!"

Keeper of the Shrines slapped his hands together and muttered a prayer. He turned into glowing, fiery, green orbs that took off into the air and formed Cora's beast.

"OH NO!"

"Oh yes. I have just enough points on the board to play this. I pay 1000 of my Life Points to use Cosmic Cyclone. This will destroy your Swords of Revealing Light and free my dragons from your spell. Now they can attack and the real fun can begin. Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand, attack his Lord of Dragons!"

Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand covered the ground with flames with its fire breath. The flames then formed into a glittering phoenix that screeched and soared towards Lord of Dragons, bathing him in a blazing hot bath of fire. He yelled in defeat and shattered. Tyler placed his hands on his head and shouted as his Life Points dropped to a measly 500.

Then Tyrant Dragon roared and attacked both Magna-Slash Dragon and Gravi-Crush Dragon, ending the Duel. Cora suddenly heard a sound she never thought she would ever hear in her life. Clapping. Clapping and cheering. The sound of applause. The other students were applauding her for a job well done. She ever heard some whistling and someone out there shouted her name followed by a loud whoop.

* * *

Later that night, Cora lay on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in her arm as she watched a documentary on the great Diamond Crusade of the Second Age. Ms. Goldwine applied lotion on her hands and rubbed them up and down Cora's legs, sore from her workout earlier that day. She was clad in a gray athletic crop top and black sporty short shorts for comfort.

"Oh, thank you," Cora groaned in delight. "I think I pulled something while I was squatting. I didn't notice until after the Duel that it smarts."

Ms. Goldwine chuckled. "Well, I can't blame you. Sounds like you had quite an amazing day, young lady. Another hotshot Duelist bites the dust. You're on a roll."

Cora tossed a piece of popcorn into her mouth. "I told Seto about it, but naturally, he didn't care. He says I keep taking too much damage and that saving my Keeper of the Shrine was too risky. Well, how else was I supposed to summon Tyrant Dragon?"

"Don't listen to him, my dear. What matters is, you're winning. You'll get there soon, I guarantee it. Especially with the way you've been playing."

"You really think so?"

"I know so, my dear." Ms. Goldwine put more lotion on her hands and continued massaging Cora's legs. "Up, up," she said.

"Why?"

"Well, you won't feel better unless I tend to the back of your legs either. That's where the pain mostly is, correct?"

"Argh," Cora hesitantly lifted up her legs. Ms. Goldwine playfully patted her calves and rubbed her hands up and down the back of Cora's legs. 'This is so embarrassing. It looks like your changing me or something."

Ms. Goldwine couldn't helo but burst out laughing for a while. Cora did as well.

"Oh, this is so awkward," she said.

"It's only awkward if you make it awkward, Cora. Come on, keep a chin up, will you?"

"I can let it slide. You're the closest thing I've ever had to a mom."

Ms. Goldwine paused and smiled. She blinked her eyes rapidly to keep the tears from welling up. "Well, I'm more than happy to oblige for you, my dear. You're more than just the daughter of an eccentric billionaire that I have to look after. You're my friend."

"You're my friend, too, Ms. Goldwine." She set her legs back down over Barbra's lap. "I couldn't ask for a better person to be by my side."

Ms. Goldwine couldn't help but to lean forward and kiss Cora's forehead. "Me too, Cora. Me too,"


	7. The Metal Raider

A tropical storm slammed Domino City that day. She finished all her classwork that day, but Cora found herself stuck in the cafeteria waiting for a ride home. Ms. Goldwine, sadly, was trapped in traffic and it would be a long time before she arrived to pick her up.

"Great," Cora groaned. "It had to storm today of all days."

This was her shortest day of the week, with only two short classes; The History and Appreciation of Elven Art and Chemistry. It was still noon, but the sky was so dark that all the lights had to be turned on. The heavy metal shutters were down to protect the glass doors from the blistering winds and harsh rain. From the window Cora sat on, she saw that some of the trees had blown down and the pavilion was littered with leaves and trash. Rosenkruz Academy was very close to the sea, and waves splashed against the shore, smacking the ground violently.

Bored out of her mind, Cora decided to take a few selfies of herself and post them to her Binder page. Binder was THE social media hub for young Duelists. Your friends were added to it like cards and their rarity was determined by how much they mattered to you. Ultra Rare, Secret Rare, Ultimate Rare, Prismatic Rare or just plain rare. Or not rare at all, which were for people who you didn't know and just added you to be friends. Every once in awhile Cora would get PMs from eager kids saying: **Hey! Thanks 4 adding me 2 ur Binder page! Add me 2 ur Ultra Rare Collection!**" Or "**Dang u cute, babz! I'm making u an ultra-rare in my Binder**!" Or worse. "**If u wanna be on my Ultimate Rare tier, send me some pics and let's chat**!"

Yeah, no. Those guys were blocked instantly. The first week of the semester was almost over and Cora didn't even have a single friend to add to her Binder. Still, that didn't stop her from posting her pictures. She had accumulated fifty followers so far, many of them were eager to see what it was like inside the famous Kaiba Corp Towers. Last night she posted a pic of herself lying in bed in her underwear and that sure boosted her follower count by a lot. She was curious about this and thought to add more pictures like that, but she soon thought better of it when Mokuba said he saw it before she left for school. He said Seto would not tolerate having a _Binder Thot_ in his home, and that if she posted like that again, she would most likely be kicked out.

She didn't want to risk it and deleted the photo later. Just as she feared, her follower count dropped.

"Assholes," she muttered. But that was social media for you.

She fidgeted with the red bow in her hair and sighed. She wanted to take it off because it made her look cute, and looking cute made her look weak. But Ms. Goldwine loved dolling her up like this, and things went so well between them last night that she didn't want to upset her. She walked out of the cafeteria, slipped on her backpack and headed to one of the nearby arenas to hopefully find a Duel. Things were different now in the halls. When she first came to school, no one would even look at her. Now, some had gazed or even stopped to let her pass. And there were twice as many jerks shoving big stacks of money in her face for her Blue-Eyes White Dragon. She paid them no mind and marched to a place called the Glass Arena.

She noticed a crowd in front of a screen displaying what appeared to be the school's leaderboard. She stopped to check it out. The top ten were displayed with gold letters and had a golden wreath displayed behind them.

**Rank 1: Prince Colvis Matthias**

**Rank 2: Princess Kasumi Ako-Nami**

**Rank 3: Alonzo Rodriguez**

**Rank 4: Nicholas Gaithfield**

**Rank 5: ** **Belladonna von Dragonhearth**

**Rank 6: Kenny Jones**

**Rank 7: Anastasia Maddox**

**Rank 8: Adam Fenix**

**Rank 9: Gloria Kendrix**

**Rank 10: ** **Nixie Marsh**

Cora felt herself growing warm when she saw the picture of Princess Kasumi Ako-Nami on there. She's beautiful, she thought. The princess had a heart-shaped face, stunning amber eyes. Her hair was long and wine-red with a white silk ribbon on the left part of her hair. Cora dashed for one of the benches nearby which was perched in front of a waterfall. She checked around Binder and finally found her. Princess Kasumi had her own Binder page. And what she saw made Cora blush and her mouth water. Kasumi's photos were mostly of her in panties around her household or strutting in her suite in luxury hotels. And there were hundreds of shots of her in very skimpy bikinis at the beach or in tight party dresses that accented her curves as she prepared for a night out at the clubs of Domino City.

"Oh Goddesses, nice butt!" Cora whispered, seeing Kasumi posing on a white sand beach with turquoise waters and tall rock islands. She was clad in a dark red bikini with a thong wedged deep into the crack of her buttocks, which were covered in sand.

Kasumi had more than 3k pictures on her profile. One of Cora's favorites was of her in the middle of a Duel while clad in a white bikini. Behind her stood a giant brute of a monster that had dragonic features on him. She searched through the comments to figure out what the monster's name was. All she saw were hearts, smiley faces, winking emojis, and XOXO. She had to slide through more than three dozen comments until she found someone who loved both her and the monster.

Berserker of the Tenyi was the name of the beast. Besides showing off her body on her Binder page, Cora learned that Kasumi loved to cook, paint, and was a master of martial arts.

"I've got to know her!" Cora whispered. She checked the relationship status. Single.

"YES!" Cora said out loud, then quieted down. She felt drawn to this girl. She was just so amazing and that body looked like it could boil water. Cora sighed, imagining them both in one of those hotels by the sea, their naked bodies entwined in silk sheets and sharing candy kisses and feeding each other strawberries. "Oh my!" Cora whispered. She fanned herself with her hand. Why not? Cora felt she had more of a chance with her than anyone else around her. She was a Kaiba. The daughter of the richest and most powerful man in Termnnia. Ms. Goldwine said that Seto had more power than all the kings of the world put together and that they would come to him if they needed help.

Question was, where was she? And why hadn't she added Cora to her Binder page yet? Cora decided to do that herself. She requested the Princess to join her page. And she waited. And waited...and waited. Nothing.

"Maybe she's busy," Cora thought, scrolling up and down Kasumi's photo album. "Yeah, or she hasn't heard of me. Maybe I have to win more Duels."

She picked up her things and hurried to the Glass Arena, hoping there would be someone to play against. When she entered, the Glass Arena sure lived up to its name. It was a sphere-shaped chamber made of mirrored glass and a blue crystal chandelier hung from the center. There were ten pavillions to play on and five of them were vacant.

"Looking for an opponent, Cora?"

Cora turned and saw Tyler leaning against a gold pillar with a confident look on his face. Another buffed up blond was standing next to him.

"Yeah. Do any of you guys know where I can find Princess Kasumi?"

The other guy shook his head. "She went home. What does it matter to you? You're not thinking about challenging her, are you? Cuz if you are, you're wasting your time. Princess Kasumi only challenges the best of the best. Don't go thinking you fit that quality just because you got a few lucky wins on your belt."

"I won fair and square, and you know it!"

"Yeah? Well, things are going to be different with me."

"Conrad, my man," Tyler said, smacking him on the shoulder. "That's what I'm talking about. Show Cora who's the boss."

"This way," Conrad said, leading Cora to a vacant arena.

**LP 4000**

"I'll go first," said Cora. "I set a monster face-down and end my turn."

"Careful, Conrad," said Tyler, standing at ringside. "She has Kidmodo Dragon in her deck. Lose little guys are weak, but when destroyed they can call on some serious backup."

"I don't need your help," Conrad said coldly. "I use the spell, Pot of Greed. Since we already know what it does, I'll spare you the details. Next, I use another spell. Unexpected Dai. This card allows me to special summon one Level 4 or lower monster from my deck. And I call upon Darkfire Soldier Number 2!"

A flaming samurai warrior with two katanas appeared before him. He was shrouded in a veil of red-hot flames, a power he gained from meditating and training at the heart of a volcano during his early years.

**ATK/1700 DEF/1100**

"Next, I use the spell Ancient Rules, which lets me special summon a normal monster from my hand! Go Zoa!"

He summoned a blue fiend with spiked and red fins on its head. It had long claws that could disembowel a dragon easily. It snarled at Cora, hoping to psyche her out.

**ATK/2600 DEF/1900**

"Now, I sacrifice Darkfire Soldier Number Two for the mighty Flame Cerberus!"

Darkfire Soldier vanished but the flames remained. From them, a loud roar erupted. The flames then grew and formed into a three-headed beast with a shiny red coat of fur and a mane of flames. The heads barked and howled and their two tails whipped around behind them.

**ATK/2100 DEF/1800**

"Next, I use the power of Salamandra, which increases the attack of fire monsters by 700 points. Now my Flame Cerberus stands at 2800!"

A flaming red sword rose out of the ground. The middle head of Flame Cerberus grabbed it with its mouth and the massive, diamond-shaped blade was engulfed in flames.

"Now, I'll attack your face-down monster with Flame Cerberus! Destroy her face-down card, my beast!"

Flame Cerberus sprinted towards the monster. It jumped and dead a dramatic spin. The middle head went into action and sliced the card in half. Sure enough, it was Kidmodo Dragon."

"So I suppose you can summon a dragon from your hand now?" said Conrad.

"Ha, you're right. And here he is. Tyrant Dragon!"

Cora's dragon rose out of a wall of fire. It spread its wings and gave a loud roar that shook the Glass Arena. The chandelier rocked back and forth above.

"Hmph. Impressive monster, Cora. I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"I hope you don't intend to use that on my Tyrant Dragon," Cora laughed. "He's unaffected by Trap Cards. Too bad. Tyrant Dragon, attack his Zoa!"

"I activate my Trap Card!" Conrad called.

"Didn't I just tell you Tyrant Dragon can't be affected by Trap Cards? It will do you no good."

"I'm not using this trap on him, you fool! I'm using it on my Zoa! It's called Metalmorph! Now, watch as Zoa becomes Metalzoa!"

**ATK/3000**

"Oh no!" Cora cried. "Now hee's more powerful than Tyrant Dragon!"

Metalzoa sprinted towards Tyrant Dragon and sliced his neck with his even longer adamantium claws. Cora lost 100 Life Points.

"I wasn't expecting that," Cora said. I set a card face-down and summon a monster in defense mode."

"Go on, use whatever monster you like. It won't stop you from my assault. I equip Metalzoa with Fairy Meteor Crush! This card allows Metalzoa to inflict piercing damage. In case you don't know what that means, he can deal damage to you even if your monsters are in defense! Go!"

Metalzoa ran towards Cora's monster. Flamvell Guard. The creature screeched and burst into a thousand pieces. Then Metalzoa used his second claw to deal the effect damage to Cora. She was now at 2900 Life Points.

"Now, Flame Cerberus! Attack her directly!"

Flame Cerberus rolled towards her and slashed her across the chest with Salamandra. Cora shrieked and was knocked backward. She landed on her back with a loud smack. She now had a mere 100 Life Points left.

"Wahoo!" cheered Tyler. "I knew you had this one in the bag! Prince Clovis is going to reward you greatly for taking her out in this Duel."

"Beating this arrogant bitch is the only reward I need."

"What did you just call me!?" Cora shouted. "Oh, it's on, mother fucker! Nobody calls me a bitch and gets away with it! I draw! Now I use Trade-In, discarding Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand and draw two cards. Next, I use Dragon Shrine, discarding Dragon Core Hexer from my deck to the Graveyard. And since she was a normal monster, I can send another dragon to the Graveyard. Infernal Dragon! Okay, asshole! First, I use the spell Raigeki!"

"Oh no! My monsters will all be destroyed!"

Tyler slapped both hands on the sides of his head and watched in horror as Cora's lightning storm destroyed both Metalozoa and Flamer Cerberus with ease. "Conrad! Ya big dunce! How could you summon those powerhouses and have nothing to defend them with?"

"I...I was so close!"

Cora tossed her hair over her shoulder defiantly. "Too bad for you. If you're going to finish me, you'd better do it. There's one thing you should know about me. If you knock me down on my ass, I come back even tougher. Now, I summon Flamvell Dragnov in attack mode! Next, I banish Infernal Dragon and Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand to summon Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End!"

Conrad and Tyler screamed when an arcane circle of complex design formed over the field and summoned the great beast from the end of time. Chaos Emperor Dragon spread his massive wings and flapped them to make the silver stell glitter. He reared his head up and roared.

"And I'm not done yet! I use Monster Reborn to bring back Tyrant Dragon from the Graveyard, but first, I have to offer Flamvell Dragnov to do so."

The flaming armored dragon snarled maliciously and shattered. Its fiery life force spun until it formed a tornado of fire from which Tyrant Dragon emerged. Conrad waited for the attack to strike him. Nothing. He saw Cora stood in front of her two beasts with her phone in hand. She was striking poses in front of her dragons to post on her Binder page. She held up two fingers for victory and winked as she puckered her lips while Chaos Emperor Dragon loomed over her in the background. She then spun toward Tyrant Dragon and held her arm out towards him as if introducing him to her followers.

The fun and games were over. She turned off the phone and smiled at Conrad. "Okay, boys. Attack them directly and let's go home," Cora said walking away. She walked down the steps as both her aces combined their attacks to finish Conrad off, adding another tally to Cora's score.

She exited the arena and got a text from Ms. Goldwine, telling her she was outside in the garage of the school since the road outside the school's main entrance was closed. Cora walked outside towards the garage where Ms. Goldwine's limo awaited her. Ms. Goldwine opened the door and waved her arm as a signal to quicken her pace. "Hurry, child, hurry!"

"Coming, coming!" Cora said, rushing for the limo. Even though they were in the garage, she could hear the wind howling and the waves crashing against the shore. Thankfully, there weren't that many people out in the streets on the count of the storm and they got back to the Kaiba Towers without delay.

"You think dad will be glad about this?" Cora asked as they rushed out of the limo and up the lit-up steps to the towers.

"I wouldn't tell him about this Duel if I were you. One hundred Life Points? Cora, you can do better than that. I think you have way too many high-level monsters in that deck."

They made it inside. Ms. Goldwine closed the umbrella and shook the rainwater off.

Cora shrugged. "Well, Seto built this deck, so..."

"Don't you think he was testing you in some way? Seto Kaiba is a man who meticulously plans his decks to win every time. You've had victories, yes, but narrow victories. Those aren't going to please him, you know."

"Guess you're right," Cora sighed in defeat. "I guess I'll take a look at it later."

"That a girl. Now, get upstairs and shower, you smell like the day we picked you up from the road."

Cora sniffed the collar of her blouse. "Woo, I guess I sweat up a storm when I Duel, huh?"

"How long has it been since you showered, darling?"

Cora tapped her bottom lip. "I think it was the first day I was here."

"Oh, indeed," Ms. Goldwine said, pinching her nose. "I'll get you some toiletries to help you remedy that issue and I expect you to change those nasty habits of yours. From now on, you are to shower after school. Understand? A girl as lovely as you shouldn't smell like this. Now, off to your room. Chop, chop."

"Yes, mom!" Cora said marching upstairs.

* * *

The storm was still raging outside. Lightning flashed and thunder shook the building when it rumbled. Cora was standing in front of the mirror wearing nothing but a tank top with the word LAZY written in pink sequins. And she had taken off her pants so she could take pictures of herself in front of the mirror in her panties for the Binder page. She made sure to restrict what Mokuba saw and hoped that he wouldn't get suspicious. She took a similar photo in the bathroom as she undressed to take a shower. The caption read: **Rub-a-dub-dub! Nothing beats the tub after an intense Duel! See y'all tomorrow!**

Within minutes, Cora got 2000 likes and over a hundred comments. Having fallen in love with the attention, she wanted to post more. As she stood in front of the mirror, she had her hair up in a messy bun and wore her Stardust Dragon wing pendant and then turned to get a picture of her butt confined in her black underwear. She had the body of a goddess and was proud of it. Also, she wanted to be like Kasumi and maybe even impress her.

Before she posted her new shots, she checked her album. It was ringing off the hook with activity. The likes were coming in and the follower count kept on rising. On top of her lewd photos, she also posted the selfies she took of her dragons. The one with her in front of Chaos Emperor accumulated 30k likes withing two hours.

**OMG! A hot dragon Duelist! I've died and gone to the Gardens!**

**Damn, Bae! You iz awesome!**

**Oh my goodness! Hit me up, girl!**

**Wanna trade 4 ur Chaos Emperor? Send me a message! I got lots of cards that could pique ur interest!**

**Hot damn! Nice peach, Cora!**

**Do u have nudes?**

Cora's phone vibrated. She smiled when she got a message that read: **_Princess Kass has accepted your request! _**


	8. Flaming Fists of Tenyi

**Cora**

* * *

"Look at all this text," Cora groaned, spending another evening reading her books. The second day of school and instead of friends or a duel, she found herself stuck with an extra credit project: A six-hundred-page thesis on the history of her father's House. But it was not on the curriculum. Someone from the company must have forced one of her teachers to undertake this project. And judging from the title of the massive tome she was forced to read, she had but one guess.

_ **White Lighting: The History of House Kaiba** _

"This is so unfair," Cora groaned. "She flipped past the thirty-page acknowledgment ("Like anyone gives a damn" she grumbled) and started reading the first paragraph of a massive column of text.

_It goes without saying that House Kaiba is one of the most powerful noble houses in Termnnia. Though only comprised of the Kaiba Brothers - Seto and Mokuba - they have ruled well from their tower at the center of Domino City, standing over nine-hundred feet tall, only being dwarfed by the House of Gray, the home of House Dalton, the ruling family of Eredas. Kings, Emperors, even high-ranking priests of the Church of Yeyu flock to them for their technology and resources, sometimes even going as far as asking them for a generous loan from their coffers, which is quite literally a sea of gold laying underneath the foundation of Kaiba Tower. The escutcheon of their House is of a brilliant white dragon with blue-eyes roaring triumphantly in front of a white shield with two winged swords crossing behind it. This dragon is the 'ace' of Seto Kaiba's deck._

_The Blue-Eyes White Dragon._

_For years, this beast struck fear into the hearts of hundreds of Duelists, even the King of Games, Yugi Muto, trembled in fear before the might of this monster, who some claim is a divine beast. Virtually invincible, very few have witnessed the majesty of this creature and lived to tell the tale. But the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's origins do not trace to the foundation of House Kaiba. In fact, they go back to the very foundation of the first Termnnian kingdoms, hundreds of thousands of years ago._

_In the year 3034 of the First Age, ships of silver and myrrh landed on the coasts of Eredas. And sailing on these ships were a people known as the Vollanti, a race of fair-faced and fair-haired people from the once prosperous continent of Vollantia, which sunk to the bottom of the sea in the Great White Cataclysm._

_Hundreds of millions lost their lives in the devastation. Only a handful of noble houses escaped, and they sailed to the land known as Termnnia to start their new lives. Of these great Vollanti houses was the fabled House Rosenkruz, who foresaw the doom of their nation for many years, thanks to a vision given to them by a **Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon**, who urged them to warn their people and save them. But no one listened._

_Scholars agreed that they could not blame the Vollanti for their arrogance? They had wealth, vast knowledge of the arcane arts, the best mathematicians and wizards in the known world, and, most importantly, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon._

"Oh no," Cora sobbed, slamming her head on her desk. "Side notes."

_ *** The Vollanti were created by Arasik, a daughter of Saafani the Goddess of Dragons. She was known as The Tirivavi, the White Star, and was blessed by her mother with the mastery of the Veraxion artan Terenani, The Great White Dragon with Eyes of Blue.** _

_ **Arasik is epicted as a beautiful maiden wearing a dress made of stars and has seven Blue-Eyes White Dragons circling around her with a Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon serving as her champion and a Deep-Eyes White Dragon who served as her herald.** _

_ **She was eager to create life ahead of the scheduled awakening of Men and Elves. Despite the denial of her mother and the Higher Power, Arasik hopped on top of her Spirit Dragon and sailed to a lonely part of the ocean untouched by the light of the great Jewels of Entulí. Though her Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon knew it was wrong, he loved his master so much that even he would go against the will of the Higher Power.** _

_ **With his magic, he raised a bit of land from the ocean.** _

_ **Arasik cut off locks of her hair and took a scale from each of her seven Blue-Eyes White Dragons and a tooth from her Deep-Eyes White Dragon. She then wrapped the scales and the tooth in her divine hair, sang The Song of Creation - which was forbidden to be learned by anyone other than the Goddesses - and raised twelve beautiful women with long, whitish-blue hair and eyes that were as blue as her dragons.** _

_ **But the High Power learned of this; for no one hides from his infinite gaze. He summoned his champion, Narmondülus Elliartum, to kill them. Arasik pleaded for the champion to reconsider. He did not listen and approached the frightened women, who cowered against the rocks. But he could not find it in his heart to kill them.** _

_ **The Higher Power also took pity for them. And said they could live in his vision. But men must be made so they could thrive prosperously, and they must remain dormant until the Men of the World awakened.** _

She could take it no longer. Cora rested her head over her arms and fell asleep. A minute later and she heard something whack the table in front of her. She yelped in shock and fell backward in her chair.

"Ow!" she groaned, rubbing the back of her head. She looked up and saw a hideous Eldori man looking down at her.

He was short but very wide and stout. His domed head was pointed and bald. His beady black eyes concealed behind round glasses with orange lenses. He wore a black tailcoat and a large, purple, bowtie. In his hand, he carried a riding crop whip.

He was Hobson. Seto's caretaker.

"I do hope you can read while you sleep," he said. "Well, can you?"

Cora backed away, whimpering like a frightened puppy. The man scared her terribly.

"Ah, you're scared? Good. Perhaps that will keep you awake."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"I know you are," Hobson chuckled.

"What are you going to do? Come on, man, I said I was sorry."

"Sorry is not going to cut it, my dear. Your father must know about this at once. He'll decide what punishment is best for you. Come with me."

Hobson walked out of her bedroom. Cora slipped on a pair of pajama pants and followed Hobson to her father's quarters where he was having a steak dinner. Hobson explained everything to him. Kaiba set down his fork and knife, then wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

Cora looked away from the scowl he was giving her. She looked out the glass wall and down into the city, wishing she could be the lucky youngsters who could enjoy life and be out with her friends.

"Come here," said Seto.

Cora gulped and stepped forward.

"So Hobson tells me you've fallen behind on your studies."

"It's only the second day, sir," Cora pleaded. "It's just too much work. And that extra project I have to do. It's not fair."

"It's far less than what I have to contend with to be a part of this family," Seto said sternly. He leaned forward, elbows on the table, and fingers crossing over his mouth. "I told you before. I don't settle for mediocrity. And neither should you. You will be punished for this."

"But..."

"Hobson!"

"Yes, sir?" Hobson said, eagerly.

He smacked the whip on his palm, no doubt fantasizing about using it on Cora's bare bottom. Cora was sure he was waiting for Kaiba to give him the order. Would he do it? Would Seto be so callous as to let this man do such a thing to her?

Seto grinned and then, "Confiscate Cora's computer and her phone. Her phone will be given to her in the morning when she's at school. And she will only have use of her laptop for an hour each night. Until she understands the importance of her education."

"Ah, at once, sir," Hobson said, waddling past Cora like a mutant.

She was dismissed after Kaiba told her to get out of his sight. Cora went back to her room and studied her book before writing the first few pages of her thesis until two in the morning. After that, she went to bed and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

As Ms. Goldwine walked into the room, the alarm in Cora's phone went off. Before she could even tap Cora on the shoulder, she woke up and threw the covers off.

"Goodness me!" Ms. Goldwine said in surprise.

Cora turned on the lamp beside her bed. It was still raining awfully outside. The sky was so black that the morning was still dark. The street lamps were still lit and neon still flashed on the windows of walls of Domino City's buildings. Before Ms. Goldwin could correct her, Cora did her bed as fast as she could.

"Morning, Barbara," she said before rushing into the bathroom to wash up.

"Someone is eager to go to school this morning."

"Are you kidding!?" Cora laughed as she doused her face with cream. "After yesterday's Duel, I'm itching to go back and kick some more butt. Did you see the look on Prince Clovis's face?"

"I sure did," Barbara said, laying out Cora's uniform, pressed and ready for another day. "How are you doing with friends?"

"Friends? Who needs them? I've got Seto."

Ms. Goldwine grimaced. "Even after what he said to you last night, you still admire him?"

"He's just playing hardball," Cora laughed. "I'll get through him eventually. Besides, deep down under that frown, I think he really likes me."

"He's not the only one," Ms. Goldwine whispered.

Cora had a quick breakfast of cornflakes and cold milk. She scarfed it all down and ran out the elevator where another of Kaiba's men, Roland, was waiting to escort her and Barbara outside.

He opened his umbrella to shield her and Barbara from the rain and walked them to the limo.

"Thanks, Roland!" Cora said, jumping in. She looked up in time to see Kaiba staring at her from his office high above.

"Cora," said Ms. Goldwine. "Come now, I'm getting soaked!"

Cora scooted over to make room for Ms. Goldwine. She got in, closed the door, and they were on their way.

"Now, Cora," Ms. Goldwine said. She took a sip of her coffee. "I do hope you're not serious about not making some friends at school."

"Why is that important?" Cora asked.

"It's not healthy to be so lonely."

"Don't worry about me," said Cora. "I can handle myself."

"I sure hope you can," Ms. Goldwine said, followed by a heavy sigh. "Duel Monsters is no ordinary game. It could consume you, just as it did your father."

Cora chuckled. "You really think I'm going to be a stick in the mud like him?"

"He expects much from you, dear. You're such a beautiful, high-spirited girl. I don't want to see this foolish game turn you into something you're not. The fame. The glory. The money. It transforms people."

"Don't you start worrying about me," said Cora. "I already have Seto down my neck. The last thing I need is your concern. I'm not going to become some overconfident hard head. I promise."

The limo arrived at the school grounds at last. Cora grabbed her things and put on her blazer.

"Would you like me to walk you to your class?"

"No, thanks," Cora said. "I'll see you at four."

She got out of the limo and ran inside the academy. The day went by slowly, even more so because of the rain outside. It made everything so dark and so dull.

"And so in the year 1909 of the Second Age, the great and powerful Reman Dynasty began after the great line of the Pendragons ended with the death of High Queen of Evangelia," explained Profesor Proudfoot, a halfling from the rolling Emerald Marches in Elleria.

He walked back and forth in front of the chalkboard, flooded with due dates, historical dates, keywords to remember and so on.

He flipped the page of his textbook and kept reading. "High King Julius Reman I, who would be known as the greatest warrior of the Golden Men of Lionhearth, began his reign by invading the Berjan homeland of Riftgaard to halt the Black Bear Rebellion once and for all. The Black Bear Rebellion was led by a covenant of Jarls from Snowborne, in the far northern reaches of Riftgaard. During the Waltz of the Dragon Queens, High Queen Evangelia Pendragon made a pact with the Jarls. If she promised to select one of their own clans to be next in line after her reign, they would take arms and fight with her. She promised and choose young Halgar of Clan Ironbrook to take the throne after her. After her death - or disappearance if that's what you believe - the pact was forgotten by her subjects. But many scholars, myself included, believe the pact was cast aside. The men of Emboldor are a proud folk and were prejudice against the Snow Men of Riftgaard. They did not want to be ruled by barbarians and selected House Reman of Naralia to take the Heart-EartH Crown."

Cora yawned and checked her watch. "Ten minutes left before class finished and their duel period could begin."

"This is such interesting stuff, huh?" asked a girl with braided strawberry-colored hair sitting next to her. Her brilliant opal eyes were glittering behind round, thin, glasses.

"I guess," Cora groaned in boredom.

"Not a big history buff are you?"

"No. I just want to Duel," said Cora.

"Ah, so does everyone else around here," the girl chuckled. "I'm Brandy. Brandy Arthuria."

"I know you guys," said Cora. "Your family owns that brewery in the ports, right?"

"That's right. My family has been making the finest brews since the foundation of the kingdom. Hey, nice job taking down Prince Colvis the other day. He's such an arrogant punk."

"Yeah, a real charmer," Cora said, grinning.

"As if there wasn't enough about you to talk about," Brandy said, lighting tapping Cora with her elbow. "I mean your Seto Kaiba's daughter. That alone is cool enough. But to know you can duel like him is an even bigger treat. Clovis is like the star of Rosenkruz Academy. Three major promotions in the pro leagues have offered him contracts and he's pretty much been given a golden ticket into Duelist Academy. After that ass kicking you gave him, I think they might reconsider. You know, I heard some people in the halls saying that they'd like to take you on."

"Well, I wasn't hoping for that kind of attention," Cora said with another yawn. "I just wanted to play. Nobody around here gave me that chance."

"Aw, well, I guess they were having a hard time believing you were the daughter of Seto Kaiba. He's like the second king of Eredas. We would know if he was married let alone have children, and he never did. So, did he adopt you or something?"

"Yup."

"What for?"

"I dunno. He said he saw something in me and took me in. What more can I say? I'm in his house. Now I'm trying my best to stay in it. And the only way that I can stay is by Dueling."

Thunder rumbled loudly outside, shaking the classroom.

"Well," Brandy said, she started nibbling on her pencil. "It's almost after class. Have you been down to the Heart-Crown Arena yet?"

"No," said Cora. "I'm still getting used to the place."

"Well, why don't we go down and check it out? Everyone in school heads down there to unwind and play after class. It'll be a great place for you to get introduced to the class and possibly find an opponent to play with."

"I'd like that," said Cora.

The bells started tolling. At once, the students packed their things into their bags and stood up."

"Remember," said Professor Proudfoot. "Pop quiz this week. I do hope you prepare for that. And before you leave, students, I want your syllabuses signed and on my desk. No excuses."

Cora turned hers in at once. Naturally, Proudfoot was shocked to see that the rumors were true. "Ah, that's Seto Kaiba's signature alright. So, those stories I heard in the halls are true it seems. You are a daughter of House Kaiba."

"I still have a long way to go," said Cora. "Seto Kaiba has put a few obstacles before me if you catch my drift."

"Indeed," said Professor Proudfoot. He scratched his curly, gray, hair. "If there is anything you require, Ms. Kaiba, do let me know. I'd like to have a hand in your education. I've never had someone as important as yourself as a student before."

"I thought you teach royalty."

"Bah. Many students from around here are from petty kingdoms all across Eredas, Lorin, and Monde. They think that's an excuse to think they're one of The Seven. But you're a Kaiba. That name is as important around here as Dalton, if not more."

"I understand, sir. Thank you. Is there any way I can breeze through some of the homework I have here in record time? I'm having problems at home with the caretaker who's on my butt with my work."

"No fear," Professor Proudfoot said, shaking Cora's hand. "It's an honor to assist my students to the best of my abilities."

Brandy came down smiling. "You can count on him, Cora. My family always relied on the Proudfoots."

"Proudfeet!" the professor corrected her.

"Of course. Cora, shall we?"

"Right," Cora replied with a nod. "Thank you, Professor. I can't begin to tell you how stressed out I am with this project Seto put on me."

"I'll do what I can," said the professor. "I'd say go rest your brains, but it appears as though you ladies are going to the Heart Crown Arena down below to Duel. And when Dueling, it's your brain that you use most of all."

He let the girls leave and they followed the flow of students to the train station which took them to the underwater part of the school. It spiraled down and down the side of a cliff with glass walls showing off massive leviathans and whales with bioluminescent orbs and flippers shaped like angelic wings that were iridescent and glowing.

"No matter how many times I see it, I can't stop loving it," Brandy said looking at them as they swam by. "So much beauty in our world, huh?"

"Yeah," Cora agreed.

The train stopped at the station and they got off. They got a quick bite to eat and then walked into the stadium known as the Heart Crown Arena where the students gathered to play. The stadium had a grand view of the ocean and the pod of glowing angel whales swimming by. Their eerie cries could be heard through the glass. Waterfalls fell from either side of the stadium, falling into a moat that circled around the arenas below. There were twenty of them, each one separated by a river.

"Is there a line or something?" Cora asked, marveling at the arena.

"Nope. It's first come first served. No dibs allowed, either. I see a few empty arenas over there. It's such a good spot, see? It's right next to the glass so we can see the ocean."

"You go ahead and enjoy the fishies," Cora chuckled. "I want to Duel."

Cora stopped. Someone caught her attention. A girl was playing right in front of the western waterfall. Cora bit her lip. She was very beautiful. She had long, silky, wine-red hair tied with a big golden bow into a massive ponytail that brushed over her buttocks. Her skin was milky white and she had burning amber eyes. She narrowed them at her opponent and placed black fingerless gloves over her hands.

"Who is she?" Cora whispered.

Brandy looked around and saw the girl who was ready to duel. "Oh, her? She's Kasumi. She's a transfer student from the small kingdom of Gō-Aki in Uzume. She's its princess, actually."

"Princess?" Cora gasped.

"Uh-huh. Her family serves Emperor Shim. They're their most trusted ally. The Emperor's son, Jaeyoung, is going to be studying with Prince Yuri at Duelist Academy next year and will serve as one of his allies in an alliance Master Yu-Gi-Oh is forming. I read that Kasumi is good friends with Jaeyoung. Man, that girl has got a lot of power behind her back. And money. She's super-rich. In fact, Emperor Shim asks her father for donations during dark times."

"You don't say," said Cora.

"Don't even think about playing against her," Brandy warned her. "You may be a Kaiba but you're still just a beginner. She's really good. Hey, are you blushing?"

"What? Uh...no. I just...I..."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just flustered. All this homework and my dad is forcing me to complete a six-hundred-page thesis on our family history that's due before the semester is over."

"I can help you if you want," Brandy offered. "I'm sure if we work together we can finish that thesis before that time."

That made Cora smile. "You think so?"

"Of course!" said Brandy. "And I'll do it if it means you smile more. You...you're really pretty when you smile."

"Aw, stop that," Cora said, playfully punching Brandy's arm. "Hey, look. She's about to duel."

Kasumi's opponent was a rather stout young man. An Eldori in his nineteenth year. He grinned and drew his hand. "Is the little princess ready?" he mocked her.

"Are you, Greg?" Kasumi said, drawing her cards swiftly.

"Oh, I am. And I'm about to knock you out of the leaderboards with this match. I use Unexpected Dai to special summon, Gladiator Beast Andal!"

Greg placed his card on his black duel disk and conjured an eleven-foot-tall bear with lavender fur and protected by plates of purple armor. It roared, flexing its massive arms. It's ATK of 1900 displayed right next to him. He then summoned a female cat-warrior in pink armor called Gladiator Beast Atrix, then used them to Link Summon a monster called Test Panther.

A panther the size of a horse appeared beside him, snarling and growling at Kasumi. It's sleek, black, fur shined in the lights of the arena.

"So you got the new support for your Gladiator Beasts," Kasumi said intrigued. "Let's see how well you use them."

"Oh, I'm going to beat you alright. I'm going to use Test Panther's ability to add a card to my hand. Gladiator Beast Comeback! With this, my Gladiator Beast Andal returns to the field!"

The bear rose out of the ground and roared, pounding his chest with his right paw.

"Now, he's not going to stay for long. For I sacrifice him to summon Gladiator Beast Augustus!"

To Greg's right, the winged gladiator monster appeared. It spread its massive wings and let out a loud shriek as it waved its sword around to intimidate his foes. The holographic display revealed 2600 ATK points.

"And with Augustus's effect, I can call upon another Gladiator Beast in defense mode. Here comes Gladiator Beast Noxious!" He placed the card down and the phantom of a cheetah warrior in purple arena armor formed next to Augustus. "Now, I fuse Noxious and Augustus into the mighty Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor!"

The fusion monster rose out of the ground. It was a purple-colored lizard warrior garbed in brilliant armored robes of royal red trimmed everywhere in gold. He stood nine-feet-tall and wielding a golden staff.

"And with his ability," Greg continued, "I summon Gladiator Beast Domitanius with a destructive force of thirty-five hundred attack points! Then I set a card face-down and end my turn. Your move, Kasumi. Show me what you've got."

"With pleasure. I draw! And I'll start with Pot of Desires. I banish ten cards from my deck face-down and draw..."

"No, you won't!" sneered Greg. "Check it out. From my hand, it's Ash Blossom and Joyous Spring, which cancels out your effect. So you banished all those cards for nothing."

Kasumi shrugged. "Oh, well. There's always a Plan B. I summon Tenyi Dragon Nahata in defense mode. And I'll sacrifice it to Link Summon Warrior Monk of Tenyi. Now, Tenyi Dragon Vishudda's effect activates, and I special summon it to the field. And I'll use it to Link Summon another Warrior Monk of Tenyi! From my grave, Tenyi Dragon Vishudda's effect activates. I banish it and target your Domitanius to send him back to the Extra Deck."

"No, he won't!" shouted Greg. "My Gladiator Beast War Chariot will protect me from its effect."

"But it won't protect you from this," said Kasumi. "I tribute both my Warrior Monks to Link Summon my Tenyi Dragon Sage!"

The monks vanished into a cyclone comprised of the three Tenyi dragons. They dispersed and revealed a beautiful woman in purple robes who used steel fans as weapons. The three dragons swirled around her.

**ATK/1600**

**-LINK 2**

She used her sage's effect to summon a Mare Mare, a dragonic-looking sea horse who could summon tokens by demoting it's level by one up to three times each turn. It was the perfect tool to use to summon one of the strongest monsters in her deck.

She performed one last combo and summoned Berserker of the Tenyi.

He rose from a column of flames and he extended his arms to make them disperse. He was a giant of a creature. His skin grayish-tan like the side of a mountain. A forest of bushy, blue, hair came out of his back and his head. Two dragon horns protruded from the top of his skull. His massive arms were like dragon arms of unbreakable rock and he wore white pants with a red line across the thigh. Around his waist, he wore a golden tasset and his knees were covered by golden plates shaped like dragon heads.

**ATK/3000**

**LINK-3**

** **

Kasumi then used the effects of her Tenyi Dragon Nahata and her Dragon Sage to devastate the ranks of Greg's Gladiator Beasts. Tamer Editor was sent back to the deck and Domitanius's ATK were lowered to 2000.

Kasumi ordered Berserker of the Tenyi to attack. He jumped in the air and landed in front of Domitanius. He punched the beast in the gut with his massive fists three times. Then a final fourth, which shattered it to pieces.

"My monster!" cried Greg.

"And now Dragon Sage and Mare Mare will attack you directly."

Greg braced himself for the attack. When it was over, his Life Points plummeted to 4100. He lost almost half his Life Points.

"I draw," he said. But there was nothing he could do. He had but one card in his hand and it was useless to him. He found himself at the mercy of Dragon Sage who whacked him with her staff.

Then, Berserker was next and punched him in the stomach, dealing the final blow.

"I lost," Greg moaned. "Oh no. I thought I had you."

Berserker of the Tenyi turned to look at Kasumi. He bowed. She bowed back and then her monsters disappeared.

"Oh," Kasumi said when she saw Greg moaning and groaning on the floor. "Ouch. You should get some ice for that." She turned and walked out of the arena.

Brandy shook her head. "What did I tell you?" she said. "She's something else, huh? Cora? Cora?"

She was gone.

Cora was already sprinting towards Kasumi, who was taking off her gloves. "Wow!" she said. "That was amazing. You were amazing."

"Thanks," Kasumi replied, putting her deck into her jacket. "Who are you? Wait, hold on. You're Seto Kaiba's girl, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"What do you want?"

"A Duel. Please. A Duel with you."

"With me?"

Brandy caught up with her just in time. "Cora, don't. Didn't you see what she did to that guy? She beat him in three turns. Imagine what she can do to you?"

"I'm not scared. I just...well...I just want to Duel against you, that's all."

Kasumi wrinkled her nose. "Sorry, I can't. I have a lot of homework to do. And I'm in need of a shower."

"What? Come on, it'll be short."

"Yeah, I know. That's the problem," Kasumi scoffed. She picked her backpack off the bench and put it on. "Look, kid, don't get me wrong, I'm impressed that you're a Kaiba and all, but, you're skills are not worth my time."

Cora felt her blood boiling. "Say what?"

"For all I know, your victory over Prince Clovis was a fluke. A stroke of pure luck. If you can prove me wrong, I'm all yours. Until then, I want nothing to do with you. Beating scrubs is not something I like to do."

"SCRUB!" Cora yelled as Kasumi walked away. The smell of magnolia, jasmine, and rose suddenly filled her nostrils, and calmed her down. "I'll prove you wrong," she muttered. "Damn, what a beauty."

"Uh, earth to Cora," Brandy said, waving her hand in front of her face. "Don't you want to play? I mean, you need to have at least one hundred victories before Kaiba can give you his Blue-Eyes White Dragons, right? I think we should get started."

"If you know what's good for you, it's wise not to get started on Kasumi," a young lady said approaching them. She had short blonde hair, giving her the appearance of a boy.

"I can see that," said Cora. "Damn, she's got an attitude that's as ugly as that Ogre of Tenyi she summoned."

"She's actually very nice," the girl laughed. "She just takes her Dueling seriously. If you're looking for an opponent to play against, why not try your hand against me?"

"And you are?"

"Amy Misawa. My father works for yours in Kaiba Corp, Cora. I've got to say, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Cora shook her hand. "Nice meeting you, too. Are you ready to duel?"

"I am if you're ready," said Amy. "But I don't expect to lose. I've got just the cards I need to take your dragons down."


	9. A Bright New Star

**Cora**

* * *

The eerie cries of the angelic whales swimming by the glass walls calmed down her nerves and her ego, still burning from being called a Scrub by one of the school's top-ranked Duelists. She was Rank 4, as was displayed on the school's leaderboards that projected on the glass walls overlooking the arena. Cora couldn't help but want to take one last look at Kasumi, who was someone she was quick to admire. Now she loathed her entirely.

Sure, she was new to the school and the game, but she was still under the wing of Seto Kaiba. That had to count for something. That should have made the girl show respect. Oh, but she was a princess of a faraway land. Maybe those things didn't matter to her. If Dueling to the best of her abilities would get her to respect her, then by the Goddesses, she was going to do it.

"I'll show her," Cora mumbled as she balled her fists. "When I get my Blue-Eyes, I'll make her pay."

She looked around the stadium, looking for the girl she could one day call her rival. Why? She didn't know. Just looking at her caused feelings to burst inside her belly like a billion butterflies, warming up her soul and tickling her emotions. According to Brandy, she went red.

"I did not!"

"You did so," Brandy confided to her. "You were as red as a Mystic Tomato."

Cora rolled her eyes. "What the hell makes him so 'mystic'? He's a tomato with a face on it."

"That's beside the point," said Brandy. She crossed her arms and shook her head. "Look, I'm no mind reader, but I can tell when someone's been hit with the love bug. Don't. Not with her. She's out of your league."

"It's not like that!" Cora protested. "You're looking way too deeply into this. Her beauty just…mystified me."

"The Uzumenese are known for their fair faces," Brandy agreed. "She strikes me as beautiful, too, but I didn't go burning up the way you did."

"Are we going to play?" Amy asked from the top of the arena.

Brandy pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Alright. But I'll be keeping an eye on you. Kasumi is like her Berserker of Tenyi. She will crush your heart to pieces with a fiery punch. Don't get involved with her."

"You're out of your mind," Cora said, pushing past her. She morphed her ring into a Duel Disk and walked up the arena to face Amy. As Amy shuffle her deck, Cora took one last glance at the arena and spotted Kasumi leaning against the wall of one of the stadium's entrances. She was surrounded by three other girls, also from the Empire of Uzumé by the looks of their silky black and red hair and fiery green and amber eyes.

"She thinks she's so hot," said Amy. "Cora, let's take her down one day."

"That day might come soon if I beat you," Cora answered arrogantly. "Show me what these dragon-slaying cards of yours are."

Amy's earrings started glowing. They turned into orbs colored red, green, black, white, gold, blue, and brown, and then they swirled around her right arm, forming a red and gold gauntlet that spanned the length of her arm. It was decorated in engravings and brilliant scrollwork and had round egg-shaped jewels inlaid from the wrist to the shoulder. From the forearm, a sword-shaped energy blade outlined in yellow.

**LP 8000**

"Nice," said Cora. "I'll go first. I use Dragon Shrine, sending a dragon from my deck to the Graveyard. Since it was a Normal monster, I send another one to the Graveyard as well."

A young man with messy blue hair laughed from the benches below. "What good are all those powerful dragons if she destroys them anyway?"

Cora ignored him and continued. "Next, I use Trade-In, sending Dragunity Arma Leyvaten to the grave so I can add two cards to my hand."

The boy laughed again. "Does she want to lose or something?"

"He is really starting to piss me off," Cora muttered, doing her best to keep her cool and ignore him. "Next, I summon Dragon Knight of Creation!"

She summoned a giant wearing gold armor over his naked torso. From the waist down, he was garbed in a beautiful tasset of white silk. His legs armored in golden greaves. His head was protected by a golden helm with an opening that allowed a long man of reddish-brown hair to flow down to his back. He carried a massive sword with runes inlaid on the blade. He gave the sword a few swings to intimidate Amy and stood still.

**ATK/1800 DEF/600**

"Now, I activate his effect. I send another Dragunity Arma Leyvaten to the grave (The guy laughed again) and sacrifice my knight to special summon Rabidragon!"

The Knight of Creation vanished. Taking his place was what looked like a dragon-bunny rabbit hybrid. Again, the fellow in the stands laughed at her.

"Sure," laughed Cora. "He's cute and cuddly now, but wait till you see what I can do. I activate Soul Charge. Now, I get to summon as many monsters as I want from the Graveyard. Both my Dragunity Knights return and so does my Dragon Knight of Creation. Now I…arrrggh!"

A horrible pain coursed through Cora's body. "Oh, man. That didn't tickle. What happened?"

Brandy tsked. "Um, you know you have to pay one-thousand Life Points for each monster you want to bring back right?"

"What?"

"It's on the text," said Amy. "Damn, girl. You need to read that carefully."

"Whatever," Cora groaned, struggling to get back up on her feet. "I have what I need to give me the lead in this Duel. Using my first Arma Leyvaten's effect, I equip him with Arkbrave Dragon in my Graveyard. Next, I Overlay Rabidragon and Dragunity Arma Leyvaten to Xyz Summon, Number 38: Hope Harbinger Dragon Titanic Galaxy!"

"What!" Brandy shouted. "A Number Monster!"

The odd dragon from the deep reaches of space appeared behind Cora. It seemed robotic in appearance with long arms and wings made of green energy beams.

**ATK/3000 DEF/2500**

"Number Monster?" Cora said, examining the card, both to look at the name and read his effect carefully. "What makes this Number monster so special?"

"They're impossible to find," said Amy. "But seeing as you have Seto Kaiba building your decks, I'm not surprised. Well, let's see how you use your beast."

Cora grinned. She was quite confident with her monster. "Yeah, try and take him down. I end my turn."

"Let's see what my deck has for me," Amy said placing her hand on the top of her deck, which fit in a dealer on the wrist of her gauntlet. "I draw!" The card shot out and she caught it with ease. "I activate Pantheism of the Monarch. It allows me to draw two cards at the cost of a Monarch Spell or Trap from my hand. Next, I activate, Tenacity of the Monarchs. I reveal Kuraz the Light Monarch and draw a Monarch Spell from my deck. And I'll activate it. The Monarchs Stormforth. This will allow me to use one of your monsters as tribute for my monsters."

Raiza the Storm Monarch's silhouette appeared over Amy. He conjured up a fierce tornado that was ready to suck in Cora's Titanic Galaxy.

"No, you won't!" said Cora. "I activate Hope Harbinger's ability. When a Spell or Effect is activated, he can negate it and add that spell to himself as an Xyz Material."

The storm vanished. Raiza laughed and faded back into the darkness.

"Very good," said Amy. "But I'm not done. From my Graveyard, I activate Pantheism of the Monarchs. I banish it from my Graveyard and reveal three Monarch Spell or Trap Cards. You get to select which one I can keep."

The three cards appeared over Cora's face. "That one," she said.

"Excellent choice," Amy gloated. "I think I'll play it now. I activate the Field Spell, The Domain of the True Monarchs!"

The stadium turned into a dark throne room with a bright light shining down from the sky above. An eerie choir sang a song of honor and tribute and worship for the rulers of the elements of the earth. The powerful sons of Mellannia the Goddess of the Elements.

"Now, I do hope you don't plan to use any more monsters from your Extra Deck, Cora. Because I have none, the Domain prevents you from summoning monsters from there."

"Crap!" Cora shouted. "I can't Xyz Summon anymore!"

"Indeed," Amy said with a cheeky grin. Her short hair was glowing like a halo under the light that shone down from the sky. "Now, I summon Eidos, The Underworld Squire. I activate his effect, tributing him for Kuraz, the Light Monarch!"

Eidos, the shadowy-armored fiend groaned as he was swallowed up by warm, holy, light. A bright yellow beam shot down from the heavens. The choir sang for the monster's arrival. He appeared from the light. A towering beast in golden armor and cloaked with a cloth-of-gold cape. His hands were colored sky blue. He held them up to display his power.

**ATK/2400 DEF/1000**

Amy held out her hand. "Now, Kuraz's effect activates. Destroy her Hope Harbinger Dragon!"

Kuraz formed a ball of bright energy with his palm. He launched it at Hope Harbinger Dragon, destroying him.

Cora yelled, shielding herself from the blast with her arms.

"I set a card face-down and end my turn," said Amy. "Your move."

"Think on your toes," Brandy called from the bench. "With her Domain of the True Monarchs out, you can't summon monsters from your Extra Deck."

"I know that," Cora said. "I draw! I activate Dragon Shrine. Sending a Normal dragon to my Graveyard, which allows me to send another one. Next, I activate Dragon Knight of Creation's ability, sending a dragon from my hand to the Graveyard to revive a dragon. And I'll use the one I just discarded. Behold, Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand!"

A bright light lit up the darkness of the Monarch's dominion. From it emerged a colossal-sized dragon with brilliant scales made of glittering gold. The membranes of his wings were jet-black, his underbelly snowy-white, and his spikes were made of the purest ivory.

**ATK/2800 DEF/2800**

"Impressive beast," said Amy.

"Wait till you see his ability. I banish your Eidos from the Graveyard. Doing so increases Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand's attack points equal to the level of your banished monster by one-hundred. So now, his attack is increased to three-thousand! Next, I activate the effect of Keeper of the Shrine from the Graveyard. Because Knight of Creation is a dragon and was destroyed via effect, I can special summon Keeper of the Shrine from the Graveyard. And he can be used as two tributes. So now I sacrifice him to summon Arkbrave Dragon!"

**ATK/2400 DEF/2000**

** **

Her white-gold dragon roared, spreading his four wings, and whipping around his jeweled tail in excitement. He was ready for battle.

"Now, I attack your Kuraz with Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand!"

Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand puffed out his chest, taking in a deep breath. The energy inside his chest whirred loudly. He opened his mouth and blasted Kuraz to pieces.

"AAAAHHH!" Amy screamed.

"Now, I activate his effect," said Cora. "I can bring back a level seven or eight Dragon from my graveyard. And I call upon Van Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord!"

**ATK/2800 DEF/2500**

** **

"Next, I attack you directly with the rest of my monsters!"

And with that attack, Cora won the Duel. Her three remaining beasts took flight and blasted Amy with their energy breath attacks.

Amy screamed, falling backward on the ground with a loud smack. Her Life Point counter plummeted to 0. She shook the cobwebs out of her head and sighed, finally realizing what had happened.

"I lost," she said. She grinned and sat up. "Not bad, Cora."

"You weren't half bad yourself," Cora replied.

"Are you kidding?" Brandy said, running up the steps to the arena. "Your dragons swarmed the arena so fast, Amy couldn't do anything."

"Yeah, well, that won't happen again next time," Amy said, brushing the dust off her skirt. "Next time we play, I'll be victorious."

Cora narrowed her eyes and smiled mischievously. "Well, we've got lots of time, don't we? Why not shuffle our decks for round two?"

"I'm afraid there's no time for that," Ms. Goldwine said below the arena. "Impressive match, Ms. Cora. But I fear it's time to go. Your father has a…gift for you."

"Does he?" Cora tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Well, I suppose we can play another time then."

"Hold on a sec!" shouted the boy with the blue hair. "I want in on this. That was pathetic, Cora. You kept tossing all your dragons out like it was nothing. It's a miracle you even won at all."

Cora wrinkled her nose. "Oh, so you're the dickhead who was laughing at me the whole time, right?"

"Come on!" said the boy, activating his Duel Disk. "I can take you on. What do you say?"

"Ms. Cora has no time for a Duel," said Ms. Goldwine. "I suggest putting that away. Perhaps we can set up an appointment for you."

"No!" shouted the boy. "I want to Duel her now. My father has a seat in the Emboldorian Senate in Rassay. He won't be pleased to know you plebs refused me."

"Oooo," Amy hooted, wiggling her fingers. "A senator." She noticed a pin on the collar of the boy's blazer. A red rooster crowing at a golden sun on a field of white. "House Crebroon. Your family serves in the Dragonheart Party. No doubt under the payroll of King Antilles. Tell me, how much has he been paying your dad to keep Yugi and the others from using the Gates to help Prince Yuri?"

"That's none of your business!" said the boy. "I don't care if he stays stuck there forever. If House Dragonheart says it's best for him to stay, then that's what's best for business. He knows what to do, unlike Yugi and his pitiful band. Now, stop yacking and get your cards out, Cora!"

Ms. Goldwine stepped in. "It matters not who your father is, boy. You're in Eredas. You will abide by the rules like everyone else. And having a parent in the Termnnian Senate does not give you special permission to do whatever you want."

"Back off grandma! This is between me and the girl!"

Ms. Goldwine's eyes widened. "Grandma!" she shouted. "You insolent brat! I'll teach you some respect." Her wristwatch flashed and transformed into a black Duel Disk. The blade was shaped like a dragon wing with neon red membranes

"So you wanna play Marco Crebroon, huh? Fine, but if I win, Cora plays against me."

"Duly noted," said Ms. Goldwine. She put on her headset. The holo-lens glowed hot pink over her eye displaying rings and windows of data. Her virtual cards hovered over her face.

"It's time to Duel!"

"You are so going to regret this!" sneered Marco. He swung his head to the right to toss a bang off his face. "I draw! Behold! Simorgh Arrival! By discarding a Winged-Beast, I can add two Simorgh monsters from my deck to my hand. Now, I summon Simorgh, Bird of Summoning!"

Flames spiraled in front of him. A massive bird screeched, spreading its wings to disperse the flames and reveal itself. It had fiery orange feathers and jeweled feathery crown on its head.

"My Bird of Summoning's effect activates. I add a Simorgh card to my hand. I activate my Field Spell, Elborz, the Sacred Peaks of Simorgh!"

The arena vanished and transformed into windy plains with a tall mountain looming in the distance.

Ms. Goldwine made her move. "I'll discard Dragonmaid Erde to special summon Dragonmaid Trillo in defense mode."

She conjured a very cartoony monster. A woman with bright red hair that went all the way down to her ankles. She was dressed in a maid outfit made for being in the kitchen. In fact, she had a copper bowl and spoon in hand. Two horns protruded from her head. And most notably, a long red tail grew out of her backside. She smiled as her stats were displayed.

**ATK/500 DEF/1700**

Her ability allowed Ms. Goldwine to add a Dragonmaid monster from her Deck to her hand. But she had to send another from her hand to the Graveyard.

Marco laughed. "Is that the best you can do? A cook? You mock me! I'll teach you some respect, granny! I use the effect of my field spell! I offer my Bird of Summoning to call forth the great beast of my House. Behold, Simorgh, Lord of the Storm!"

The calm mountain plains grew restless. The cool, gentle, breeze now turned into howling winds. A dark shadow swooped over the playing field, followed by a thunderous wingbeat that was graced by the soothing sound of silver bells. A colossal bird with majestic green feathers and gold ornaments on its body flew over the playing field. It then landed on a mountain top and screeched.

**ATK/2900 DEF/2000**

"Now there's nothing that can stop me!" Marco boasted. "From my grave, another Simorgh's ability activates. Come to the field, Simorgh of Darkness!"

Storm clouds blackened the skies. Lightning flashed and struck the mountains violently, creating horrible rockslides. A darker version of the graceful bird summoned earlier zoomed out of the black clouds and let out a metallic roar. His silver ornamentation jingled with each flap of his wings. He landed on the top of another mountain, spreading his wings and screeching as lightning flashed around him.

**ATK/2900 DEF/2000**

Marcos sniggered confidently. "Now, I summon my Bird of Summoning from the Graveyard in defense mode. Ha! I have my mighty birds and all you have is that mutated cook. I set a card face-down, and end my turn. Your move, granny!"

A card digitized in the virtual hand projected over Ms. Goldwine's face. "I'll show you what granny can do. I summon Dragonmaid Parla in attack mode!"

She tapped the card. Parla appeared in front of her. She had green hair, a green tail, and a revealing maid outfit. She carried a towel over her forearm and in her other hand, she balanced a silver tray with a teapot and cakes.

**ATK/500 DEF/1700**

"Another pathetic monster," chuckled Marco. "She'll just be food for my birds."

"I am not done yet!" snapped Ms. Goldwine. "Parla's effect activates. I send a Dragonmaid from my deck to the Graveyard. Battle phase. Parla turns into her true form. Dragonmaid Luft!"

Parla grew wings out of her back. Her maid outfit then dispersed and she started glowing. The smell of sweet tea and freshly baked pastries filled the air as a great, green dragon took Parla's place.

**ATK/2700 DEF/1700**

"Hey, that's pretty cool!" said Cora.

Ms. Goldwine turned and winked at her. "You haven't seen anything yet, Ms. Cora. Now, Dragonmaid Trillo becomes Dragonmaid Flamme!"

Trillo's clothes magically faded away as she began to glow. A fiery flash illuminated the field. In her place stood a fiery red dragon with blue horns and spikes. She had the same ATK and DEF as Luft. Both of Ms. Goldwine's beasts were eighteen feet tall and fifty meters long. They were colossal.

But they did not stay for long. Ms. Goldwine transformed them back into their maiden forms. Cora was confused. Why didn't she attack or boost their power or something? Sure, doing that allowed her to add cards to her hand, but good did that do? The dragons in their maiden forms were weak. And there were two giant birds ready to attack.

"I end my turn."

"Are you serious?" Amy said. "You could have turned things around."

"Hold on," said Brandy. "I think she knows what she's doing. Remember, she's Seto Kaiba's secretary. One major qualification for that job is to be a good Duelist."

"Is there any position in Kaiba Corp that doesn't require you to play Duel Monsters?" Amy said in shock, finding that to be absurd. But then again, it's Seto Kaiba.

"Okay, granny!" Marco said as he drew his card. "It's time to end this Duel, so I can face Cora and show her what for."

"To face Ms. Cora is a privilege for an arrogant snob like yourself," said Ms. Goldwine. "You want to get to her, you've got to get through me."

"Tough talk coming from a loser with cooks and servants for monsters! Now, I use the effect of my field spell, trading in Simorgh of Darkness for another Simorgh, Lord of the Storm! But my dark bird won't be out of the game for long. I use his ability to bring him back! And with my field spell, my birds get a three hundred point boost in power! Now they each have thirty-two hundred attack points! Battle!"

"Good!" said Ms. Goldwine. "Parla transform in Luft!"

"It doesn't matter!" shouted Marco. "Lord of the Storm, attack her Trillo!"

The first Lord of the Storm flapped his wings, creating two fierce tornados. They swirled around Trillo and destroyed her.

"Now, my second one will terminate your pathetic dragon!"

"I think not," Ms. Goldwine countered with a smirk. "Dragonmaid Flamme's ability activates. By discarding her to the Graveyard, I can raise the attack points of my Dragonmaid Luft by two-thousand points!"

Luft spread her wings and roared. Her stats rose to the top of the charts.

**ATK/4700**

Cora gasped. "Forty-seven-hundred attack points!"

Luft breathed neon green flames, countering Simorgh's attack. The flames pierced through his tornados and struck him, burning him to a crisp. He roared in agony and shattered.

"NO!" cried Marco. "My Simorgh!"

His Life Points went down to 2500.

Cora, Amy, and Brandy laughed.

"Did you order original recipe or extra crispy?" Cora mocked. "EFS. Eredian Fried Simorgh."

That was the end of the battle. Parla returned, costing Ms. Goldwine a Dragonmaid card from her deck.

"I end my turn," said Marco.

"Do I detect irritation in your voice, young man? My Dragonmaids aren't so pathetic now, are they?"

In no time at all, Ms. Goldwine performed a combo that allowed her to conjure an army of dragons that lorded over the maids in her deck. She Link Summoned Saryuja Skull Dread, Guardragon Pisty, and Guardragon Agarpain who allowed her to summon the Dragonmaid in charge of housekeeping.

Dragonmaid Hauskee, no doubt the one who ruled over all the Dragonmaids. She was a tall woman, dressed in a strict, black, maid outfit. Her hands were armored and clawed. A long black, white, and red rail coiled out of her backside. Two black wings with red membranes wrapped around her waist, forming a sort of dragonic apron.

**ATK/3000 DEF/2000**

Trillo and a pink nursemaid named Nasary bowed in her presence. Ms. Goldwine performed one last Link Summon, tributing Saryuja and Pisty to conjure Borrelsword Dragon. Then she banished a couple of Wind monsters from the Graveyard to special summon, Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms.

"Stop it!" Cora cried mockingly. "Damn it, Ms. Goldwine, stop it! He's already dead!"

Ms. Goldwine didn't stop. Nobody called her Granny and got away with it. Battle phase. Nasary and Trillo transformed into their dragon forms. And because they returned to the hand, Hauskee's effect activated, allowing her to destroy a card every time a Dragon returned to the hand. Both of Marco's monsters were shattered to pieces, leaving him wide open for an attack.

BOOM!

Marco yelled as he flew out of the massive explosion. He soared over the arena and fell into the fountain with a terrific splash.

Ms. Goldwine dusted her hands. "Don't ever call me granny."

Cora rushed towards her. "Ms. Goldwine, that was amazing! The way you summoned all those monsters in such a short amount of time. You just swarmed the field. Where did you learn to play like that?"

"It took many years of practice," said Ms. Goldwine. "Many, many years. Show the same discipline, and you'll play the way I did. Maybe even better." She looked at Amy and Brandy. "Oh, I see you've made some new friends."

Cora turned to look at them. "Oh, yeah. Ms. Goldwine, this is Brandy Arthuria and Amy Misawa."

"Two girls with big names at that," Ms. Goldwine said happily. "Brandy's family makes the best drinks in the city. And the Misawa family are some of Termnnia's brightest engineers."

"Thank you," Amy said with a bow. "Cora and I just met a little while ago. As you no doubt saw, she walloped me in a Duel."

"I saw," Ms. Goldwine said, playfully tapping Cora on the nose. "You're getting better, dear. Now, let's go see what this gift is. I know I'm eager to see it."

"So am I," said Cora. "It better be a Blue-Eyes."

"Hardly," Ms. Goldwine said, not finding Cora's comment humorous in the least bit. "Well, girls, it was a pleasure meeting you, but Cora has some important business to attend to back at the house."

"That's all right," said Amy. "We'll see you tomorrow then, huh, Cora?"

"Yeah, nice meeting you guys."

* * *

**Madame Angelmen**

* * *

A golden carriage drawn by sixteen stags with jeweled bells hanging on their antlers arrived at the front of the academy. The coachman, a man with an oversized powdered wig, and obnoxiously pink clothes opened the door to let out a horribly stout woman wearing a very ornate pink dress that exposed her large bosom. Her face was masked in white powder with black mole next to her nose piercing through. Her bloated lips were coated in purple lipstick. Her hair was curled and decorated with ribbons and jeweled eggs. She walked around pompously with a cane crowned with a jeweled egg.

She was covered in so much perfume it was toxic. The coachman coughed and ran, hoping to get a whiff of fresh air.

The woman whistled. "Jupiter! Mars!" she called out.

Two large dogs followed her out of the carriage. Standing at the entrance was a brown-haired woman wearing an armored dress. She was Rosamunde Thaddeus. Headmistress of Rosenkruz Academy.

"Jillian," she said. "How was your vacation? Were the Citrus Islands all you expected?"

"Oh, and more," replied Jillian Angelmen. Head of the Department of Chairs and Techniques of the academy. "The men were delicious and the sun was just perfect. So anything new while I was gone?"

"Well, there is the matter of…"

"Not important!" Madame Angelmen replied with a wave. A few birds chirped loudly in the trees. "How is my dear nephew, Clovis? How many victories has he raked in while I was gone? A hundred, yes?"

Rosamunde giggled as they stood under the shade of a tree. "He won quite a few games. But sadly, his winning streak is over."

Madame Angelmen's eyes widened. "WHAT!"

Rosamunde kept her trademark smile on her face. Add her twinkling hazel eyes and she looked like a Nymph, much to the displeasure of Madame Angelmen, who was rather envious of other women she deemed 'beautiful' as her.

"There must be some mistake! My Clovis does not lose!"

"I'm afraid he did," said Rosamunde. She folded her arms. "I tried to tell you. There's a new student here taking the academy by storm. Her victories are few, but it's her name that's causing quite a buzz."

Madam Angelmen balled her fists and shook them. "Who is this insolate brat who had the nerve of shattering my Clovis' winning streak!?"

Rosamunde giggled again. "Kaiba. Cora Kaiba."

Madam Angelmen lowered her fists. "Kaiba? As in Seto Kaiba? She, you said?"

"Yes. He enrolled his daughter into our school a couple of days ago."

"I didn't know Seto Kaiba had a daughter."

"Well, the details are rough," Rosamunde said, walking towards the fountain to peer at the Koi swimming around. "Barbra Goldwine, Kaiba's secretary, told me to keep the girl under wraps. Yes, the students are talking about her, but so long as they keep her name within the walls of the school, it's all well and good."

"But students' words can leak beyond the walls. Especially with all this social networking going around."

"Not going to happen," said Rosamunde. "After Cora was made a student, Kaiba instructed me to send out notes to all the students. A threat actually. If anyone speaks her name outside the walls of the academy, he's going to sue them for everything they've got. And my students know better than to ignore Seto Kaiba."

"So, this brat got a victory over my Clovis, eh?"

"She did. She's very talented. I've only seen her Duel a couple of times, but she plays so well. Sure, she makes a few mistakes, but she prevailed in the end. I think she has what it takes to be this academy's brightest star."

"Not brighter than Prince Clovis. Do you know how much money I invested to keep his skills sharp!? I won't have some girl from nowhere take the spotlight from him."

"It's not up to you," said Rosamunde. "If she has the skills to knock Prince Clovis out of the leaderboards, then that's the way it is." She placed her hands behind her back and walked away. "There's nothing you can do about it."

Madame Angelemen narrowed her eyes. "We'll just see about that."


	10. Queen of True King

**Cora**

* * *

"So...what has come of the mighty Kingdom of Elleria after they so foolishly sent troops up north to the Holy Land. Now, first off, that makes you wonder. What in the bloody hell did King Helmsley expect to do? What did he hope to accomplish? It matters not. You wanna know what happened? They vanished. Fifty-thousand troops. Six thousand knights - all of them! Gone. Including one Prince Talion. The sole-heir of the Ebony Throne and the Kingdom of Elleria itself. Now, all they have left is that pitiful Princess Evelyn. This is what happens to those who dare oppose us. Annihilation. So is the might of the mighty King Forrest. The Lord of the Holy Land. The Champion of All Mighty Yeyu."

The man's audience clapped.

Cora raised an eyebrow as Ms. Goldwine brushed her hair for school. She heard her mumbling in frustration. The man on the television was a strict-looking fellow with gray hair, icy-blue eyes, and a face cratered with acne scars. He wore a black pin-stripe suit and a red tie. His cheeks were turning red. Red with passion and anger. And hatred.

"Do you know what they have done in exchange for mercy?" he continued. His audience laughed, for they knew full well what was going on up North. "The king and his family have sent crates of silver dust, tobacco, flour, silks, spices, masterwork furniture, and Mana Crystals. Why? As a gesture - says the king - of goodwill. A weak apology for the war he started. You know what I think our response to the king's gesture of goodwill?"

The man scoffed. "Of course you do. You're watching my show. I think we should burn those crates. Burn them all to the ground for the blood he spilled. Burn it all!"

An audience cheered for him. He stared maliciously into the camera.

"You like that did you? There is much energy here tonight. I feel you, my brothers in the Faith. I feel your joy. The glee of knowing that judgment is finally falling upon the people of the Southern Kingdoms. The jolly King Helmsley is getting just what he deserves. He could have prevented this. All he had to do was allow the True Faith to be implemented into his kingdom. He resisted. He killed our brothers and sisters in the Faith. And now he faces judgment. Nobody escapes judgment."

His audience clapped and cheered in agreement.

"Not even King's escape judgment," he continued. "Elleria, right now, is feeling judgment. Let his failure to stop King Forrest be a lesson of the fury born of our Holy Kingdom. We are coming for you. All of you! Now, Eredas is next in line to feel the Fires of Judgment. They think they are protected by their 'Goddesses'. They think the Almighty One - the true master - is not watching."

The man grinned. "People of Domino. You stand at the precipice. Your Kings have failed you. Your Heroes have failed you. Your homeland crumbles because you lack faith in the one true master of this world."

He looked to the ceiling. "You think he's not up there? You think he's not punishing you for your sins? Look around you, you fools! Just look at yourself, Eredas! War. Disease. Mages. Beast-Folk. Elves. Dwarves. Homosexuals. Duelists."

Booo! Roared the audience.

"Duelists. Let's talk about these magic-ridden degenerates for a moment. We must look back to a time past. To a time when our world collided with the Shadow Realm in what many of our Priests call the Synchronization of Light and Darkness. The result of that terrible disaster was the birth of that treacherous force known as magic."

He spat after saying the word as if he tasted something terrible.

"Now, these heathens will say that their Goddesses brought forth that unholy energy to unite and protect the world. Lies. All Lies! Yeyu knows the truth. As the Voice of Yeyu, I will tell you the truth. This was not the work of some benevolent, sparkling, Goddess of Magic. This was the work of the Lord of Destruction. The enemy of our mighty Yeyu. Zorc Necrophades. It was a test. A test to strengthen our faith - our willpower. Instead of destroying this abomination, some have took to studying it and using it for their own wealth and even power. And it is because of their curiosity that our world is the way it is today."

Cora felt her hands trembling. She did not know who this man was, but every second he spoke, she grew to hate him more and more.

"Another terrible result of that Synchronization were the monsters that roam our lands. Gates have opened to every hell-ridden dimension allowing these beasts to pour through and ravage the night. Taking our children, consuming us with their power. The dragons! The ogres! The goblins! The werewolves! Did we raise arms against them?"

He paused, staring fiercely at the camera as if he was waiting for Cora to respond.

"NO!" he yelled, slamming his fist against his desk. "Again, instead of uniting to expel them, these terrible sinners took it upon themselves to learn about those horrible beasts and harness their power for greed, fame, even war. Their knowledge of these monsters led to the birth of Summoners! Dragon Riders! And that damned game Duel Monsters! "

_Boooo _went the crowd.

"They actually teach the youth of the world to play with these monsters. Teach them to cast spells. Teach them to battle each other for their own pleasure. And they promote these games. They spend millions and millions to build oversized arenas to allow these degenerates - these Duelists - to play in. Why, there's even a highway to allow so-called Turbo Duelists to zoom across the city playing this game on motorcycles. Ladies and gentlemen, I thought I've seen it all. But this? Card games on motorcycles."

The crowd laughed.

"Can you believe the utter stupidity of the notion? They've lost their minds. These lunatics are so in love with this blasted game that they construct edifices to honor this sinful sport when they should be raising temples to house the True Faith. Duelists. They fight for honor, greed, narcissism. Evil is what it is. And we will do what we can to combat this evil. Whatever it takes. Who's with me!? Who's bloody with me!?"

"No more of that, now," Ms. Goldwine said, turning off the television with the remote.

"What was that all about?" Cora asked.

"The Church of Yeyu, dear," Ms. Goldwine answered, getting back to Cora's hair. "It's nothing you should concern yourself with."

"But I've seen it getting heavily promoted all over the city," said Cora. "It's everywhere. It's not like I can just ignore it."

Ms. Goldwine bit her lip. "I despise them. I hate talking about them, but I suppose you should know who they are and what their mission is. The Church of Yeyu is a religion - a cult in my eyes - that hails from the land of Balodrum, another continent to the east of the ocean. They will do anything in their power to make sure their faith is the only faith. Naralia is where they have made their home here. It was once a beautiful kingdom. The best magical institutions, lavish Dueling arenas, the most talented artists from painters, musicians, and the like. It was a land everyone wanted to go to. A land of freedom, free thinkers, inventors, and wise mages. But a great and terrible civil war erupted in Balodrum. It got so violent that many people fled from their war-ravaged homes to Termnnia."

"They did?"

"Yes. I was a little girl when Naralia began to crumble. It was once my ancestral home. My father was once a top-ranked member of the Termnnian Bank. We were a Great House with much influence in our country. But then those people came. Instead of feeling grateful that our people welcome them in with open arms, and assimilate to our culture and way of life - or at least respect it -, they started demanding that we make changes suitable for them."

"What!?" Cora yelled. "They can't do that."

"And they did. Those pacifist pansies, such as those fools from House Gardener, control much of the Senate. And they believe friendship and tolerance is the key to making the world go round. It made us look weak. We had to respect them. We had to tolerate them. They practically forced us to do nothing as the Yeyunists prosecuted our people, burned down our temples, raised our greatest creations to the ground. They forced our children to learn their language and demanded that teachers across the kingdom teach them to convert from the Goddesses to their phoney cult."

She paused and gulped loudly. Cora patted her hand.

Ms. Goldwine smiled and squeezed it.

"I lived in a Hold called Lionberth," she said after finally gathering herself. "We were closest to the capital and took the worst hit. In no time at all, our friendly Lord was replaced by a radical Scarlet Priest. The mages were ousted from their academy and forced into exile. The academy, Snakerose, one of the oldest and most beautiful and brightest magical schools in the country - perhaps all of Termnnia - was raised to the ground. I remember how they cheered. They destroyed precious magical artifacts including books and tomes. Hundreds of thousands of years of Termnnian history burned because they deemed it blasphemous. They also ruined the great sword of Neo the Magic Swordsman - who was so legendary they made him a Duel Monster. They melted his sword and turned it into a crown for the Priest, who then ordered our people to build a church from the rubble of the school."

"No. That's terrible. What did you do?"

"The only thing we could do," said Ms. Goldwine. "We fled. Father tried his best to get the Senate to raise arms against those religious radicals. They were destroying our history. Our way of life. The former King of Naralia, Charles the Luster Dragon Knight, realized what he had done and took arms against the church. But it was too late. Over the course of five years, millions and millions of Naralia citizens were radicalized and converted to Yeyunism. Those loyal to the old ways were outnumbered a million to one. They were slaughtered in the battle of Conrad Field. King Charles and his Luster Dragon were struck down by a pilot donning that machine called a Cuirass. The Grand Priest then crowned Forrest of House Ungard as the King of the newly formed Holy Naralian Kingdom. Ever since they have tried to conquer the rest of us, hoping to make us submit to their faith."

"It looks like they've slithered their way down here," said Cora. She got up and put on her backpack. "Especially if that guy is free to spout all that nonsense."

"Alfred Knox," Ms. Goldwine replied. "Yes. He was once an officer in the Balodrummian Navy. Now, he serves as the Church's lead propagandist. The Voice of Yeyu as he's been dubbed. Every evening he takes control of the airwaves in dozens of networks bought out by the church and he spews his filth for a whole hour. Now, it appears as if he's taken control of the daytime hours as well."

Cora laughed and let Ms. Goldwine put the bow in her hair. "He's an old geezer, Barbra. What can he do?"

"It's not wise to underestimate the church, love. They have their own political party in congress, and it's taken quite a rise in popularity. With Elleria crumbling, their influence, I'm sorry to say, is spreading. There are many folks around here who have turned discriminatory towards Duelists and other magic users." She rolled her eyes. "Pretty much anyone they don't deem as their equal. Do keep a watchful eye if you begin to go out with your new friends."

"I will," said Cora. "I think we're going to hang out in the arena mostly today. I expect big wins."

"Do you?"

"Yeah, with the new cards Seto gave me, I think I just might have my edge."

"If you say so, my darling. I look forward to seeing more victories, but it's wise not to grow overconfident. It could severely ruin you."

"There you go again worrying," Cora said with a chuckle. "I'll call Roland and tell him we're ready to be escorted down."

* * *

**Madame Angelmen**

* * *

"So there's the little brat," Madame Angelmen said as she spotted Cora coming out of her limousine.

Keemo and Roland stood on either side of her as she got out and hugged Ms. Goldwine goodbye. When she made it to the fountain, both men bowed and walked back to the car. Brandy and Amy ran towards her, greeting her good morning and the three of them walked into the school.

"That's her, alright," Prince Colvis said, leaning against the wall. "She got lucky, I assure her Aunt Jullian."

"I know," said the loathsome woman. She tapped one of her chubby cheeks with her finger. "Just looking at her annoys me. Nevertheless, her name holds great power. No one is going to say her beating you was luck. They will say 'She won because she's a Kaiba,' pfft. Her father is an excellent Duelist, but not because of his name. Her name does not grant her skill. You must prove that."

"I will, Aunt Jillian. I'll take her on and defeat her. Just you wait!"

"See that you do, my dear boy. I don't want to be made the fool. I have invested a lot of gold into making you who you are today. More than your father, but what can one hope from the ruler of a petty kingdom."

Clovis grimaced. Madame Angelmen smirked.

"If you want to be seen as more than just some petty prince, my lad, you must be the best duelist there is. Claim your crown here and then claim another at Duelist Academy. Outshine even Prince Yuri when the time comes."

"I will, I told you I will. Nothing is going to get in my way. Our kingdom will finally claim the honor we so rightfully deserve. I will destroy her, Aunt Jillian. I will make Cora regret the day Seto Kaiba found her."

He turned and marched out of her office, slamming the door shut and causing a few trinkets and picture frames to fall down, shattering on the floor.

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

"This equation shall be - I promise you - the most important equation you will memorize this semester," said Professor Marley, Cora's math teacher. He was of the Bayne, a race of dog-folk from the Termnnian Isles to the west. He had the head of a dark-red bloodhound with piercing green eyes. "Write it down," he instructed, "for I will not be explaining this one again."

Cora raised her hand. "Uh, Professor. You haven't even taken role yet."

"Huh?" Professor Marley strolled to his desk to pick up the attendance sheet. "Oh, it appears I didn't," he said. Once again, his urge to get the class going got the better of him.

"Brandy Arthuria?" he called out.

"Here!" Brandy called out.

He moved on to Cora. "Cora Kaiba."

"Present!" she called out.

"Ahem, good good," said the Professor. He squinted his eyes at the next name. A name he still could not get used to. "Shit head?" he asked.

"It's Shi-theed!" the offended student called out.

"Oh, right, right, of course, of course. My apologies, young man."

A very obnoxious-looking girl on the third row raised her hand. "Uh, Professor Marley, I do believe someone is breaking the rule of no hats allowed during class."

Cora looked down at the desks on the lower levels and spotted a girl with a black beanie over her head with a dinosaur skull covered in black scrollwork etched on the front.

Professor Marley cleared his throat. "Ms. Marsh," he said. "This is the third time I've told you not to wear hats in class, especially mine. One more offense from you, and it's off to the headmistress' office. Am I clear?"

"Nixie, not again," Brandy muttered.

Nixie shook her head and shrugged. "Sure, whatever."

She took the beanie off. Long, blonde hair flowed down past her shoulders like a blanket of golden silk. Her skin was sunkissed and oily, giving off the scent of peach.

"Rules are rules, Ms. Marsh," said Professor Marley. "Break them again and you must suffer the consequences - don't you roll your eyes at me, young lady!"

The class continued. It felt like an eternity before the bell rang.

"Have a good day, students," said the professor. "Take time to copy the equation, please."

"Finally," Amy said, closing her binder. "I thought it would never end."

Cora immediately got up, not even bothering to zip up her backpack. "Neither did I. I have to try out my new cards."

"Can we at least get something to eat?" Brandy asked. "I'm starving."

"You would think of food," Cora grumbled impatiently. "Say, that Nixie girl. Is she any good?"

Brandy chewed on her pencil. "She's rank tenth in the school, so yeah."

"Double digits, huh?" Cora sneered pretentiously.

Amy was rather cross with that remark. "Not funny. You're not even close to the top ten yet. So what are you joshing her about?"

"You ever hear of Rex Raptor?" Brandy asked, putting her pencil away before she could damage it any further.

Cora nodded. "I saw him on TV last night."

"Nixie's his cousin. But she's far and away better than Rex."

Amy laughed. "Are you joking? That's by far the most unnecessary thing I've heard you say. Rex Raptor isn't exactly top-tier, which is why he's going back to Duelist Academy. Not that it will do him any good. He's stubborn and doesn't want to adapt to the game's new mechanics."

"Forget about him," said Cora. "I sure as hell would like to see what she's got. Not to mention she's really hot."

Brandy moaned and slammed her head on her desk. "First Princess Kasumi and now Nixie. Girl, you are out of control."

Cora narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Are you kidding? This again? I can't compliment on someone's looks without you having to hound me about liking them, it seems."

She stopped when she smelled the scent of jasmine and rose filled her nostrils. She turned around quickly and saw Kasumi and her friends walking up the steps to the entrance.

"Hi…" Cora squeaked.

"Ugh, let's go!" Brandy said, gathering her things and pushing Cora towards the steps so they could finally leave Professor Marley's lecture hall, which smelled awfully of tobacco and dog treats.

The hour of Cora's final class had come at last. Her geometry professor called out that they had a pop quiz and that it was imperative to go study. But naturally, no one listened. Cora least of all. Still pumped by her victory the other day, she couldn't wait to return to the Dueling Grounds and find her next opponent. No doubt she became the talk of the school. Every time she passed the halls, she heard whispers and heads turned to look at her as she followed her friends down the halls of the academy to a small, but very fanciful arena. It was made of mostly wood sleek dark gray metal and was surrounded by a moat with water the color of green tea. The red brick walls were festooned with ivy, so much so that the walls appeared mostly green. Surrounding the arena and the moat were rows of black wooden patio furniture with red umbrellas. There were students have tea or coffee as they studied or traded cards.

"What are we doing here?" Cora asked.

"I just want to get some milk and a sweet bun," said Brandy. "This arena is small, but its bakery is the best. I'll be quick, don't worry."

Amy followed, for she, too, wanted a sweet bun and a latte. Just as Cora was about to step inside, the most unusual thing happened. A young man spotted her from the top of the stairs. He hurried down to reach her before she went any further into the arena.

"Stop right there!" he demanded proudly. "I..whoop!" he tripped as soon as he reached the second step. He fell and the world seemed to slow down. Cora turned and saw the young man falling towards her. Before Cora could react WHAM! Too late. He had fallen on top of her and knocked her on her back. For a moment, all was dark and...surprisingly warm.

"Dude, what the hell?" shouted Cora.

The boy opened his eyes and he babbled in horror. He found himself with his face pressed against her round breasts.

"GET OFF! GET OFF! GET OFF!" Cora shouted again, slapping him on the forehead.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he said. He used his arms to help him up, but then he paused, realizing his hands were pressing against something soft and squishy.

"HEY!" Cora cried.

"YAUGH!" the kid shouted and crawled off. "Oh, forgive me! I didn't mean..." _Oh, Goddesses! I squished her boobs! _He looked at his hands. _Wow, they're really nice._

"What the hell is the deal?" Cora shouted as she stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. "You...you jerk! Watch where you're going! Do you have any idea who I am? My father is going to destroy you!"

"No! NO! NO!" he cried. "I didn't mean to. I just wanted to challenge you to a Duel. It was an accident, I promise."

"Hmph," Cora said, sticking her nose up in the air. She fixed her hair and adjusted her backpack. "Why the hell would I challenge you? You just invaded my personal space."

"Please, let me make it up to you. Please, please, please. I need to Duel you so I can go up in the rankings."

Cora sighed. "Well, it saves time looking for an opponent, I guess. All right, but I warn you, accident or not, if you ever put your hands on me again, I'll have Kemo strangle you. He's my personal bodyguard and he's a really big dude. You don't want me to call him."

"I promise I'll never bother you again after this Duel, Cora. I swear. My name is Blake by the way."

"Then you've got yourself a Duel, Blake."

"But there's one thing you've gotta put on the line," he said.

Cora frowned. "I'm listening."

"If you lose, not only will that prove that I'm tougher than you, but it will prove that I've earned the right to your Chaos Emperor Dragon."

She held up her hand. "Hold up. Are you saying you want me to put my dragon on the line?"

"Yes! Your dragon is currently one of the most powerful and rarest cards in this school. It'll be my ticket to getting to the top and taking down that Neromaki jerk who's in Rank 4. He and I have a score to settle."

"And unfortunately you made me part of your little score. Fine, you can have my Chaos Emperor Dragon if you win. But you won't, that much I can assure you."

The both of them hurried to the arena and activated their Duel Disks.

"I heard you like dragons, Cora," said Blake. "Well, I'm a bit of an expert in them myself, which means your Chaos Emperor Dragon will make a perfect addition to my deck. I'll go first. All right! I set two cards face-down and summon Blackland Fire Dragon in attack mode!"

He placed his card on his Duel Disk, a modified version of the Battle City model but was colored white with royal blue and light blue neon lights. The circular dealer was colored gold and had his name written in scrollwork. The Duel Disk hummed and rendered the Phantom of a four-legged green dragon with spikes going down its back, long wings and glowing yellow eyes.

**ATK/1500**

"Next, I equip my beast with the power of Dragon's Treasure, increasing his attack to 1800. Ha, ha, ha! I end my turn."

"I draw," said Cora. She blew a bubble with her gum as she looked at her hand. "Ah, here we go. I use Double Summon. This card allows me an extra Normal Summon this turn. First, I call on Infernal Dragon Vanguard of the Dragon in attack mode."

Her Duel Disk hummed and then the humanoid dragon burst onto the field. It carried a long javelin and a round shield made of wood and steel.

**ATK/1700**

"Next, I use Mystical Space Typhoon to blow away your face-down card."

"NOOO!" Blake cried, as a fierce gale spun around him and shattered his Sakuretsu Armor trap card, which would have destroyed her monster.

Now, it was safe for her to attack. But, Cora had a few tricks up her sleeve.

"Finally, Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards. Oof, it's over for you, kid. I use Trade-In, discarding Tyrant Dragon for two more cards. "Next, I use the spell, Return of the Dragon Lords to bring back a level seven or eight Dragon. I bring back my Tyrant Dragon!"

"OH NO!" cried Blake, watching in horror as the majestic beast rose out from behind Cora in a column of flames.

It spread its wings, spanning all across the area. The students stopped what they were doing to look at it. Another rare and powerful dragon from Cora's daddy, no doubt. But in order to bring it back, she had to sacrifice her Infernal Dragon.

"You wanted my Chaos Emperor Dragon, honey, well take a good look because this is the closest you'll ever get to one. BOOM!

"Well, that was easy," Amy said, watching from behind the iron railing behind the moat. "Come on, Cora. Let's go! The train is leaving."

Cora, Brandy, and Amy, at last, made it to the Heart Crown Arena after a long wait at the station. The angelic whales still swam around the glass dome of the underwater college town and a Kairyu-Shin could be seen hunting sharks for a snack.

"Home sweet home," Cora said, sniffing the air. "Doesn't look like there are any empty seats here today."

"We'll just have to wait," Amy said, taking off her backpack and setting it down on a bench with the river flowing behind it and two iron lamp posts on either side. "Ah, look, Cora, there's Nixie now. Ask her for a match."

Cora spotted Nixie talking to a tall young man with dark skin and golden eyes. A Sunborne from the Kingdom of Akuuda. He wore a gray hood underneath his blazer and his ears were pierced with earrings crowned with rubies, sapphires, and emeralds.

"You'll fall behind if you have anymore draws, M," Nixie said, checking her PDA. "But your streak thus far has been rather impressive."

"Yeah, those draw against Clovis's boys haven't done me much good. They're good."

"No, I think your deck's balance is too far out of whack. You've got Lightsworn's right?"

"That's right."

"You mixed them with those Shaddolls. Good combo if you know how to use it, which you don't. Until you figure out how to use them both, I suggest you take them out and stick with a pure Lightsworn deck. I hope that doesn't upset you."

"Naw, I get you, babe," said M. He took his cards out of his pocket and examined his cards. "My deck's balance did feel a little off."

"That's the spirit. Now, fix up your deck and try to get yourself back up the ranks. You want the scholarship, don't you?"

"Of course, I do. You give me the Duels, I'll take it from there."

Nixie smiled and put the PDA away. "That's my boy."

"Excuse me," said a young man with glasses and long, scruffy, teal-colored hair. "Would you care to join me in a Duel?"

"Sure," M replied happily. "I'm game."

"Ahem," said the lad. "I was asking the girl."

M sulked away. "Figures. Everyone wants a piece of you, Nixie."

"My friend could use an opponent," said Nixie. "Play him first and then you and I can have a match."

"No. That's out of the question. I wish to play against you and just you."

Nixie wrinkled her nose. She looked back at M and winked. "He thinks because I'm double digits that I'm an easy win."

M folded his arms and gave a stern nod. "Yeah, in most cases, I'd protest to play first, but in this case, I'll have to make an exception."

"No disrespect, of course," said the lad. "I just need to have that rank. And I've beaten enough opponents that I can have my shot against you."

"All right, get up on that arena and let's play," said Nixie.

She unbuttoned her blazer and took it off, throwing it at M, who caught it with ease. The boys in the arena hooted with glee seeing Nixie in her midriff crop top colored gray with yellow trim. Around her neck was half the tooth of an Ultimate Tyranno encased in opal, tied with a black string.

"Uh oh," he said. "Here she goes."

Brandy pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, what is she doing? Has she no shame?"

"Not a bad idea," Cora said removing hers and then loosening her tie. "This fucking uniform is such a burden to wear." She unbuttoned her blouse to let air into her chest.

"You, too?" Brandy groaned. "For goodness sakes."

**LP 8000**

"I'll start first," said the boy, who introduced himself as Hunter. "I play the field spell, Magical Meltdown."

A fiery red arcane circle formed on the ground under Hunter's feet and circled around him.

"This lets me add a card to my hand. Next, I summon Aleister the Invoker!"

He conjured a sorcerer in white and gold robes. He held a magical tome in one hand and a white, intricately-shaped staff in the other.

**ATK/1000 DEF/1800**

"And when my magical friend comes to the field," Hunter explained, "he allows me to add an Invoker card to my hand. Next, I play the spell, Invocation! This will fuse together Aleister and a Light Monster from my hand. Behold Invoked Mechaba!"

He summoned a platinum knight, whose legs were a chariot with large wheels pulled by a platinum-armored beast.

**ATK/2500 DEF/2100**

"Perfect, now my Invocation card allows me to bring back Aleister to my hand." He laughed, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "I'm, ending my turn."

"I draw!" said Nixie. "I play the Field Spell, Dragonic Diagram!"

A warm light appeared under Nixie's feet and formed into a magical rune with arcane diagrams and circles swirling around. It slowly spun underneath her.

"Next, I use my field to destroy my Babycerasaurus to add a True King to my hand. Then, I discard Miscellaneosaurus to prevent you from affecting my dinos with any of your effects. Now, I summon Soulstealing Oviraptor!"

Screaming souls flew around Nixie and formed together to form a five-foot-tall Oviraptor, a bipedal dinosaur with skinny legs and arms. Its skin was a sleek metallic gray etched with black magical engravings. His flesh faded to red around his head, hands, feet, and tail. In his left hand, he held a fiery, glowing, orb, which was a collection of all the souls from the poor folk who had the misfortune of running into him. Blue flames flickered on his back.

**ATK/1800 DEF/500**

"Now, I use my dinosaur's effect to add Babycerasaurus to my hand."

"Dinosaurs, eh?" said Hunter. "I'm something of an expert on them myself."

"Please," Nixie replied sternly. "Your family doesn't know a thing about dinosaurs except for what value you can get from them. You have the fossils of a rare adult Two-Headed King Rex. And you keep it as a display to make your hallways look fancy. People like you make me sick. Dinosaurs are not only marvelous, but they're magical. Do you have any idea what we can learn from them? These ancient monsters hold the secret to our past."

"Secrets?" laughed Hunter. "My dear, they are nothing but brainless animals who almost went extinct."

"What did you say!?" Nixie growled.

"Awww, shit," said M. "Now he's gone and done it."

"You piece of filth! I banish Miscellaneosaurus to summon Jurrac Aelo to the field."

She summoned a colorful baby dinosaur still encased in its egg.

"Aww, how cute," swooned Cora.

Hunter laughed. "Your baby dinosaurs don't scare me."

"They should," said Nixie. "Because they're about to grow into really big boys. I sacrifice it and the Babycerasurus in my hand to conjure the mighty True King Agnimazud, The Vanisher!"

The dragonic diagram flashed. From it emerged a colossal-sized dragon who flew in from dark clouds that swirled over Nixie's playing field. It was scarlet in color and covered with cybernetic plates of armor. It had four wings. The lower ones were scaly and scarlet like the rest of its body, while the upper wings were white and feathered, almost angelic in appearance.

**ATK/2900 DEF/1900**

The diagram boosted the True King's ATK by 300 points. Now the beast stood strong with 3200 points.

"Goodness!" cried Hunter.

"Wow, look at that!" said Amy. "She's amazing!"

Nixie blew Hunter a kiss, taunting him as her great Wyrm stood tall over her.

"It's still my turn, so there's even more pain coming your way, babe. I activate World Legacy Monstrosity, calling forth these two beauties to the field. Deus X-Krawler and World Legacy Guardragon Mardark!"

She summoned a giant golden mechanical spider and a towering black dragon adorned with jewels.

"Now, I Overlay them to Xyz Summon, True King of All Calamities!"

A horrible Wyrm from the end of time emerged out of the diagram. He towered over Agnimazud. He took two giant, earth-shattering steps towards Nixie until he stood behind her. He had horrible appendages coming out from the back of his head, waving around like hair. His wings were a mix of angelic and demonic. His body was a mix-mash of everything from diamonds, steel, scales, and purple neon. He spread his wings and let out a mighty roar.

**ATK/3000 DEF/3000**

** **

Nixie gasped mockingly. "And lookie what I've got here," she said, waving her card around. "Ultimate Conductor Tyranno. All I have to do is banish two dinos from my Graveyard and this little cutie can come out to play."

She kissed the card lovingly and slapped it on her Duel Disk. The towering beast burst out of the ground. Sparks of purple lightning erupted from the orbs on its jet-black body.

"AHHH!" shouted Hunter. "Stop! Stop! I get it!"

Nixie did not care. She turned around, slapped her derriere vexingly, and commanded her monsters to attack.

"WAIT!" shouted Hunter. He placed his hand on his deck.

The poor guy was zapped, fried, and blasted by her beasts. His Life Points plummeted to 0.

"That's all folks," Nixie said, turning around and walking down the steps.

"You sure you want to face her?" Amy asked. "Ouch."

"Her overgrown lizards don't scare me," Cora said with a wave of her hand. "I'll go challenge her right now."

"You will do no such thing," Clovis said approaching her. He placed his hands on his hips and smirked. "I'll be your opponent."

"Not you again!" said Brandy.

"Don't be so brash," said Clovis. "I lost because Cora got lucky. I would have won that match had it not been for the luck of the draw."

"Give it up," Cora said with a chuckle. "I beat your ass fair and square."

"Then face me, Cora. Unless, of course, you're scared. You know you won by pure luck last time. You didn't win because you're skilled or because you're Kaiba. Pfft. You're not worthy of that name."

Brandy's mouth fell open. "Hey! That's not your place to say!"

"Oh, I think it is," Clovis said with a devious chuckle. "She knows it, too. Why else does she play against low-tier Duelists like yourselves."

"I beg your pardon!" Amy snapped. "Low-tier!"

Clovis jerked his thumb back at the leaderboards projecting on the glass wall over the stadium. "Unless you're one of the Top 10, you're nothing."

"Tough talk coming from someone who lost to a beginner," Nixie said, joining the group with M.

"Can't help but cause trouble, can you Clovis?" M said, folding his arms. "Your arrogance brings dishonor to the game."

"Honor? You're a fool if you think this game is about honor. Everyone knows Duel Monsters is a game of power. Why else do so many strive to be at the top? It brings you everything. Fame. Fortune. Immortality!"

"Those are earned with skill and good sportsmanship," said M. "You only win because Auntie Jill buys you the cards you need to be the best."

"What?" yelled Clovis.

Nixie placed her hand over her mouth. "Ooooooh," she hooted.

"Guys, enough," Cora said, holding up her hands to pacify the group. "If Clovis wants to play, I guess I'll happily oblige."

"Good, good," said Clovis. "I assure you, Cora, you will not get the better of me this time."

"I sure hope not," Cora said with a cheeky grin. "Last I checked if you lose this, you go down in rank and I go up."

"True, but don't entertain yourself in thinking that you'll get my Number One Rank."

"I'll earn enough points beating you that I'll go up by more than a few," said Cora. She gave him a wink. "Now, let's play."

The two Duelists took their positions. They shuffled their decks, activated their Duel Disks, and began their game.

"You will pay for defeating me last time, Cora," sneered Prince Clovis. "I will prove to everyone - here and now - that your victory was nothing more than a freak accident."

"Just accept you lost," said Cora. "Be it luck, skill, or a kiss from the Love Goddess, I beat you fair and square. Nothing is going to change that. Not even if you kicked my pretty little ass right now. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, I'll still have you as a notch on my belt."

"How dare you? You insolent peasant!" shouted Clovis. "I shall start this turn by summoning the mighty Megalosmasher X!"

He summoned a prehistoric sea monster with cybernetic enhancements. Its eyes were glowing neon blue, as were the orbs and cybernetic patterns on its flippers.

**ATK/2000 DEF/0**

"Next, I place two cards face-down. That ends my turn."

"Looks like you've switched from knights in clunky armor to dinosaurs," said Cora.

"My deck has many surprises for you, Cora. Megalosmasher-X is just one of many new additions to my deck. Now make your move!"

"Sure," Cora said. She drew. "I set a monster and a card face-down. I end my turn."

"My turn. Draw!" The card shot out of the dealer. He caught it gracefully. "I summon Angel Trumpeter!"

He called upon a flower-like fairy who used a lillyflower for a horn.

**ATK/1900 DEF/1600**

"Is that really all you've got?" laughed Cora. "An overgrown sea snake and a flower?"

"You have no idea who you're messing with, Cora! If your father were not Kaiba, I'd have you thrown in the dungeon for insulting a Termnnian Prince. But I guess I'll have to punish you with a crushing victory. Megalosmasher X, attack!"

The monster bellowed and flew towards Cora's monster.

Cora blew a bubble with the gum Brandy gave her earlier. "I activate my Trap, Wall of Disruption. This nasty trap will reduce your monster's attack by eight-hundred for each monster you've got out.

Megalosmasher's ATK went down to 400 and Angel Trumpeter was reduced to 300.

The attack still continued despite the monster's ATK points being reduced. There was nothing Clovis could do but watch as Megalosmasher X rammed into a glowing, blue, translucent dragon outlined in gold. Guardragon Justicia, who had DEF of 2100, warding off the attack and dealing 1700 points of damage to Clovis.

"He's lost his mind," M said to Nixie. "I've seen Clovis play better than this. What's gotten into him?"

"I think the pressure of knowing there's someone better has finally gotten to him," she replied.

Clovis clenched his fists to control his anger. He laughed. "Monsters with high defense, eh? Well, two can play at that game. I Overlay my two weakened monsters to Xyz Summon, Traptrix Rafflesia, with a DEF of twenty-five-hundred! I end my turn."

Cora drew. "I choose to end mine without playing anything."

"Of course you can't play anything!" laughed Clovis. "I bet your hand is full of high-level dragons you can't play. What you deserve for having so many tributes in your deck. Come on, show me what your dragons can do. Here, I'll let you have an easy attack. Here's another Angel Trumpeter. Go on. What are you waiting for? Attack her!"

"If that's what you want," said Cora. "I summon Alexandrite Dragon!"

**ATK/2000 DEF/0**

"No, you won't!" Clovis said, followed by a snobbish laugh. "By removing an Xyz Material from my Traptrix, your Alexandrite Dragon goes bye-bye."

"Shit," said Cora. "I end my turn."

Clovis's turn was uneventful. He summoned a Mystery Shell Dragon, a metallic shell with 2000 ATK and ended his turn.

"You going to play or what?" said Cora. "What the hell has gotten into you? This doesn't feel like the Clovis who almost beat me last time."

"Shut up! You know nothing."

"Fine, I'll back off. Keep playing like this, however, you'll only prove to be point fodder for me. I'll farm you for easy points from here on out. I summon Infernal Dragon."

Again, Clovis hardly played. He summoned a Phantom Griffon, another strong beast with 2000 ATK.

"You're starting to bore me," said Cora. "No more games. I summon Luster Dragon. Now I have what I need for a Synchro Summoning. If I can't get you to play your best, maybe this bad boy can. I Tune Guardragon Justicia, Luster Dragon, and Infernal Dragon, to Synchro Summon the three-headed beast, Trident Dragion!"

Vermillion-colored lighting sparked around Cora. From the ground arose a tall, gigantic monstrosity of a dragon. It was scarlet in color with a cream-colored underbelly. Its most notable feature, was its three heads; each crowned with ivory horns and bright-green eyes.

**ATK/3000 DEF/2800**

** **

"ATTACK!" Cora shouted. "Knock some sense into him!"

Trident Dragion's three heads heaved and fired their flames, shrouded in red-colored electric sparks. It destroyed Angel Trumpeter, dealing 1100 points of damage to Clovis.

"You talk a big game and fail to deliver," said Cora. "Just what in the hell is going on with you? Where's Black Luster Soldier? Where's your Karbonola Warrior? Your traps that stalled my every move."

"I...I can still beat you!" Clovis growled. A bead of sweat rolled down his face. "I'm merely stalling you. Forcing you to use up your best cards against my weaker ones until my best creatures can come out."

He drew.

"Ha! I knew my deck wouldn't let me down. Behold, Smashing Ground. Now, your dragon is destroyed and you're left wide open for a direct attack!"

Trident Dragon screeched as it shattered to pieces. Then, Cora was assaulted by his Mystery Shell Dragon, Phantom Griffon, and the Gene-Warpped War Wolf he summoned, dealing 6000 damage to Cora.

Gene-Warpped War Wolf was the last to attack, smashing her in the gut with his fist. She was sent flying across the arena, then she slammed the ground hard with her back.

"You wanted my best, well there it is, my dear. Be careful what you wish for."

Cora rubbed her tailbone. "Ow. It shouldn't have taken you that long. You still haven't convinced me this is your best."

"Stop talking and play so I can finish you!"

"Eager, are we? Fine. I play Monster Reborn to bring back my Guardragon Justicia in defense mode. Then I set a card face-down and add a card to the Pendulum Scale. A new addition to my deck. Chaos Emperor the Armaggedon Dragon!"

"Hurk!" Clovis grimaced, watching as Cora's new beast flew over her. It resembled the Chaos Emperor Dragon she used against him before, save this one was bigger and had long blue hair and silver-steel armor over its turquoise scales.

"I end my turn."

"Is that the gift Ms. Goldwine talked about, Cora?" Amy called from below, cupping her hands over her mouth to amplify her voice.

Cora winked and held up her thumb. "He's the one. And he's chock-full of surprises."

Clovis started laughing.

Cora placed her hands on her hips. "I missed the joke."

"You added him to the Scales?" Clovis chuckled in relief. "Why, how pathetic of you. Don't you know he'll be treated as a Spell Card now? Your dragon is now easy pickings for this. Harpie's Feather Duster. This will destroy your face-down card and your dragon. Now you have nothing. On my next turn, I will have what I need to destroy you."

"Your loss," said Cora. "Draw. I activate Dragon Shrine. I send Alexandrite Dragon to the Graveyard. And since he's a Normal monster, I get to send another dragon to the grave. My Infernal Dragon. You know what that means."

"No! Not again!" cried Clovis.

Cora held out the card and then kissed it. "Come on out, Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End!"

The beast roared as he rose out of a wall of flames that rose appeared behind Cora. He flapped his massive wings, putting out the flames. Then, he was commanded to attack Clovis' Phantom Griffon. He lost 1000 of Life Points.

On his next turn, he summoned another Megalosmasher X. He did not attack. Nor did he say anything.

Cora lost her patience. She was tired of being insulted. She was tired of Clovis holding out and summoning a bunch of random monsters that had no support with one another. What was with this guy? What's more. She was bored.

Still, he had three monsters against hers and three cards face-down. He had some sort of advantage over her.

She activated her Chaos Emperor's effect, destroying her hand and wiping the entire board clean, dealing severe damage to his Life Points.

From her Extra Deck, for all Pendulum Monsters go there when removed from the field, she Special Summoned her Chaos Emperor the Armageddon Dragon, attacking him directly and ending the mundane Duel.

"Look," said Cora. "If you don't Duel me with your best, don't ever challenge me anymore. Don't you ever waste my time like that again."

"You! You bitch! You cannot do this to me!"

"I can. And I did. Ta, ta."

She turned to leave and join her friends at the bottom of the arena. They watched in shock as Clovis was reduced to Rank 2 and Kasumi was raised to Rank 1. With this loss, he lost many points. Meanwhile, Cora went up five ranks for defeating such a well-skilled student, but she was still in 19th Place.

"You're in the top twenty now, kid. Not bad," said M. "You're almost catching up to me."

"Nice to meet you," Cora said, shaking his hand. "What's your name?"

"M."

"How do you spell it?"

"...M."

Cora expected that. Nevertheless, she found that rather humorous and chuckled. "Does that stand for anything?"

Nixie laughed, placing her hands on both the big guy's shoulders. "His Akuudan name is kind of difficult to pronounce. So we just stick to calling him M. So you're the famous Cora Kaiba. I've gotta say, I've been looking forward to meeting you."

"Likewise," said Cora. "I was hoping to have a match with you."

"How about tomorrow?" I'm afraid I've got some things to take care of in a little bit. I promise, unlike Prince Loud Mouth over there, I can Duel without holding back."

"Anyone else find it rather odd how Clovis played?" Brandy asked. "I've seen him Duel. As much as I despise his attitude, I admire him as a Duelist. He always played one-hundred percent. But this match, despite coming at you so fiercely, he failed to deliver."

"Maybe he was mocking me," Cora responded with a shrug. "Or perhaps, he's just not all that good."

"I don't know," M said. "You've got to be pretty skilled to be Number One in this school. Even though his Aunt Jillian gets him rare and powerful cards, it still takes skill to use them. And he had the skill. Me, Nixie, and our friend Escobar took on him - three against one - and he whopped us all. That match against you just now was utterly pathetic. So unlike him."

The clock tower at the town's central plaza started ringing.

"Aw, Nixie," M said, looking at her. "That's your cue to go, girl."

"Right," Nixie said, putting her blazer back on. "Cora, it was nice meeting you. I look forward to having that Duel tomorrow. Give me everything you've got."

As she left, Cora decided it was time to go as well. She had to report to Professor Proudfoot in the next hour to do some homework and work a little on her essay. By the time she was done, night had fallen. Her friends had gone home, leaving her to walk through the almost empty halls alone. Thankfully, Ms. Goldwine was already outside waiting for her with bags of fast food.

Waiting inside the car, was her father. Mokuba was sitting right beside him with a happy grin on his face.

"What's the occasion?" Cora asked.

"Get in," said Kaiba. "There's much I have to discuss with you."

"Is it good or is it bad?"

"Just get in," Ms. Goldwine said, hurrying her into the heavily armored limo SUV.

Keemo took her backpack and walked back to the front of the vehicle. Ms. Goldwine pulled out a tray from the wall and served Cora her food.

"Well done," said Seto. "You've been rather impressive these past few days. However, due to a change in current events, I just might be giving your Blue-Eyes early."

Cora's eyes widened. She almost swallowed her fries whole. "Really?"

"Don't get your hopes up," said Mokuba. "Seto doesn't mean you're getting them now. There have been some shifts in power with the war going on. The Emerald Marches have been lost to King Forrest and Prince Talion is dead."

"Goodness!" Ms. Goldwine gasped, gingerly placing a hand on her cheek. "Oh no. The...the poor boy."

"It was not a clean death," said Seto. "They tortured him for weeks. Castrated him. Then, they humiliated Princess Evelyn in exchange for Talion's release. Or what was left of him."

Mokuba nodded. "Yeah, Princess Evelyn was forced to crawl like a dog and bark for King Forrest. She got her brother's head in return."

"The cowards!"

"What does this mean for us?" Cora asked.

Seto sighed. "This victory over the Alteria Family has emboldened the followers of that hocus-pocus faith to act a little..callous. Talion was not only a Termnnia Prince, but he was to be a member of Yugi's royal alliance. This loss makes us look weak. It makes Yeyunists believe that their God is inflicting judgment upon us all. Not too long ago, a Duel Carnival in the Dragon Gardens District was attacked by radicals from the church. Two Duelists are dead and many more injured. And as we speak, they are gathering around the House of Gray, waving banners and cheering. The castle is on lockdown."

"And the royal family does nothing?" Cora almost yelled.

"They can't just kill them," said Mokuba. "With the Termnnian Senate always giving these nutjobs free passes, every King from Domino to Emboldor has their hands tied with regulations. They can cause a ruckus so long as they don't get too violent. With each victory Forrest gains, things are only going to get worse around here. So that's why Seto has decided to give your Blue-Eyes to you early."

"If nothing is done to stop King Forrest from advancing, then staying here in Domino, let alone Eredas, is not going to be safe. Cora, as soon as this semester ends, I'm taking you out of the academy."

"But why?" she cried. "All my friends. I love my school. My teachers. It isn't fair."

"You've still got many months left before you leave, Cora," Mokuba assured her. "So you've got plenty of time to stick with your pals and finish that essay."

"And the Blue-Eyes?" Ms. Goldwine asked. "When will she get her Blue-Eyes?"

"She'll get them with just a few more victories," Seto said with a smile. "From what I've learned, Cora has risen up the ranks earlier today. You've beaten that pompous Prince Clovis again."

"Seto's not kidding when he says that kid is pompous," said Mokuba. "I can't even begin to tell you how many representatives he's had come down to our building demanding some kind of trade for those new Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards Seto manufactured."

Ms. Goldwine folded her arms and wrinkled her nose. "He thinks so highly of himself that he feels he deserves the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, eh? I've seen people with big egos, but this boy is just something else."

Cora pretended to clear her throat and rolled her eyes towards Seto's direction. Ms. Goldwine frowned and spanked Cora's lap.

"Ow!" she snapped, rubbing her stinging flesh. "Well, it's true!"

"What's true?" Seto asked.

"Nothing," said Ms. Goldwine. "So now that Cora doesn't have to achieve that tremendous goal of a thousand wins, Mr. Kaiba, what does she have to do?"

"She has until the end of the month to become the number one Duelist in Rosenkruz Academy," he said. "A month, you understand. Fail to reach that goal…"

"And I'm out of the family," grumbled Cora. "I know. I know. Geeze. You've got me bent over a barrel, daddy. These things take a lot of time."

Seto grinned. "Not for a Kaiba."

* * *

* * *

**Nixie**

* * *

Her shift at the museum had ended. She hugged her mentor, a top-ranked paleontologist by the name of Dr. Patford, and then locked the doors to the museum good and tight.

"You did well, today, Nixie," he said, brushing dirt and powder off his jeans. "Your eye is the keenest I've ever seen. Had it not been for you, I would have completely missed that tooth lodged in there."

"What do you think it belonged to?" Nixie asked, stuffing the key into the back pocket of her denim cutoffs.

"I cannot say for sure. But Hassleberry believes they could be the teeth of an adult Tomozarurus. We'll have to study the bones a little more carefully just to be sure."

"Well, I'll be here after school tomorrow and help you out as best I can, Doctor."

"Which reminds me," said Dr. Patford. "Now that you go to that school, are you more interested in being a Duelist?"

"I cannot say for sure. I love both paleontology and Dueling. I wish I could do both."

"Perhaps you can," said Dr. Patford, placing both hands on her shoulders. "Nixie, Duelists can make a fortune in the pro leagues. And I'm afraid our division needs a bit of funding."

"You want me to Duel and earn money for the museum?"

"Of course. Being in Domino, it's very rare to find one who's mind hasn't been tarnished by wizards and dragons. We in the world of science don't get that much support. But I would be honored if we could have you representing us in the pro leagues. Your skills, so I've heard, are top-notch. You're in the top ten, correct?"

"That's right."

"Well, that alone opens big doors for you in Kaiba Corp or Industrial Illusions or even Schroeder Corp. But, I want to make sure you're the best. It would pain me to see a girl as smart and skilled as you being stuck in a second-tier league. If you are truly to shine, you must test your strength at the School of Kings."

"Duelist Academy? You want me to go to Duelist Academy? But...but doctor, it costs a fortune to go there."

"Have no fear, my child. I promised your father I'd take care of you, and take care of you I shall. The museum does not get truckloads of gold, but there is enough in our coffers to support your education there. We at the board have unanimously agreed to pay for it."

Nixie's lips trembled. Tears started to well in her eyes. "I'll pay back every coin. Every Star Chip. I promise!"

Dr. Patford kissed her forehead. "Worry about that when you graduate as an elite Duelist, my dear. And the academy also has fields in science. I've looked. You can continue studying paleontology there."

It's needless to say that Nixie was honored to take such a responsibility for the Domino City Museum.

Being a girl who aspired to become a paleontologist, Nixie spent most of her free time there, learning about the ancient species of dinosaur-type monsters that once roamed the world at the beginning of time. She had such a fascination with the beasts, and it was an Uraby card that got her interested in Duel Monsters in the first place.

Her sunkissed skin was also a testament of how many digs she had been on and endured. She loved these creatures so much, that she would travel to far ends of the wastelands up north, expose herself to the hot sun and the dry environments, and look for their bones.

But now she didn't have to do that. She would miss the expeditions, but to know she could Duel and aid her mentor and the rest of the staff with constant funding for endless digs more than made up for it. She could already imagine the discoveries that could be made with this endeavor.

Dr. Patford offered Nixie a ride back to their penthouse, but she refused. She wanted to go to the city to celebrate. She was far too happy to go home. She watched him leave and then trodded into the park, which was the shortest route to the plaza so she could get herself a drink and a juicy steak with the paycheck she got from her volunteer work this week.

The park was rather dark. Too dark. But she had walked through here many times. She heard crickets chirping in the grass alongside the limestone path. Iron lamps lit the darkness and an owl could be heard hooting in the darkness of the trees. The distant hum of cars polluted the silence, with the occasional car horn honking and a police siren wailing. With the Yeyunists celebrating this night, the sirens wailed for a very long time.

Nixie stopped when she heard someone chuckling from the trees. She turned and saw men in casual clothes walking out from behind the trees and hedges. They wore black, ornate masks to conceal their faces. The flaming Eye of Yeyu was painted on the forehead of the masks. They carried kendo sticks, shovels, baseball bats, sledgehammers, and one had a blowtorch.

"Who are you?" cried Nixie. "I don't want any trouble." She opened her palms. A ball of fire ignited. "I warn you. I know how to use magic."

"We know," said one in a striped shirt. "We are done seeing you unholy witches walk around freely. King Forrest draws near. The might of Yeyu will soon strike your kingdoms down. And you will be no more. Paradise will rise from the ashes of this sinful world."

Before Nixie could speak, she was hit in the head from behind. Someone snuck up behind her. She fell to the ground dazed. A pink mist of blood sprayed into the air. The world around her spun wildly. Her skull burned from the terrible trauma inflicted upon her.

She felt blood pooling in her hair and drizzling down the back of her neck. She heard the men sniggering as they surrounded her. She saw their feet in her blurred vision. Then like a net of flesh and bone, she felt their fingers come down on top of her at once.

She screamed as they flipped her over on her stomach and held her down. The man with the blowtorch laughed. He held an iron crafted to look like the Eye of Yeyu over the flames until it burned bright red.

"This is only the beginning, love. This is but a taste of the cleansing that is coming your way."

Nixie felt a horrible sting like a thousand needles poking her at once. She screamed and then she felt nothing as she fell into a whirlpool of black eternity.


	11. Prayer for Peace

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

Cora ran through a world of total darkness. Her legs felt heavy and stung like a horrid cramp, stalling her pace. Behind her, a terrifying monster snarled. Its burning orange eyes pierced through the darkness. Someone was laughing at him from atop the monster.

A girl.

Cora cared not who it was that was up there. She wanted to get away. She had to get away now. She could smell the monster's sweet scent. Like a thousand candles of frankincense burning at once. The monster grew closer. It looked like Berserker of Tenyi, but he looked bigger, stronger...meaner. And then Cora saw who it was that was riding it.

Kasumi.

She was standing on her monster's shoulder, her fists enveloped in flames. She pointed and laughed at Cora, then the fierce form of Berserker of Tenyi started laughing as well, flames snapping from his jaws like a bunker from hell, his eyes burning brightly. His long, rock-hard, tail whipped back and forth in delight.

"Look at the fierce daughter of House Kaiba now," Kasumi leered, still pointing maliciously at Cora.

Cora looked at herself and gasped. To her horror, she discovered that she was naked. The monster of Tenyi blew a ring of fire that crackled all around her, illuminating the darkness. All around her she heard laughing. Like a million disembodied people were pointing and laughing at her shame. Cora whimpered, struggling to cover herself with her hands; the flames acting like a beacon for all to see her nakedness.

"You can't defeat me, Cora," Kasumi laughed. "You never will. All your hopes and dreams. They die with me. Die with US!"

The monster looked at Kasumi with a devilish grin. They both laughed in agreement. Cora then heard a familiar roar. She turned and saw a Blue-Eyes White Dragon wrapped in chains. It struggled to let itself loose. The chains wrapped around its wings to keep it from flying and also around its snout preventing it from firing its White Lightning attack. Cora ran through the flames to get to the dragon.

She pulled and pulled with all her might, but the chains just would not budge. The monster of Tenyi was getting closer and closer. Kasumi's infernal laughter grew so loud it was like a clap of thunder.

"I'll get you loose," Cora cried in desperation. She tugged and tugged. Nothing. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon was trapped. She noticed a lock over its heart. Engraved on the lock were the letters KC.

Kaiba Corp.!

Cora then heard her father laughing. She looked up and saw him riding on top of the middle head of three-headed behemoth with glowing blue eyes. He had his arms crossed over his chest. He looked down at her like a bug that needed to be crushed.

"Pathetic," he snarled. "Just look at you. You are not worthy to be in this House. You cannot have those dragons. You can't even save them. Accept your fate and hit the road you flea-ridden bum!"

The three-headed monster snarled as if letting out laughter. Then it flew up into the darkness. There was a chain wrapped around its ankle. It was attached to the mess of chains that imprisoned the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in front of her. The dragon bellowed sadly as it was lifted off the ground and into the darkness.

Kaiba laughed as his beast flew higher and higher until he and the two monsters were swallowed by the shadows.

"NO!" Cora sobbed. "Come back! Come back!"

The earth shook. Kasumi and her monster were looming above her.

"Well, well, well. Our little fawn has her back against the wall." She sniggered and licked her lips. "I wonder what a liar's flesh taste's like. My Dragon Ogre would like to know, that's for sure."

"No!" Cora whimpered falling on her knees, hands tucked between her legs. "Please, no!"

Kasumi pointed at Cora and said to her Dragon Ogre: "Feast on her flesh."

"NOOOOOO!" Cora cried. "Don't eat me! Don't eat me!"

* * *

"Cora! Cora! Wake up!" Ms. Goldwine said, shaking her awake.

Cora flung her arms in the air, hoping to ward off the beast coming to make a snack out of her. "Don't eat me...don't...huh?"

Cora opened her eyes. She was back in her cozy room. Ms. Goldwine stood over her. Cora wiped the sweat off her brow with her forearm and started breathing slowly.

"Are you all right?" Barbara asked, handing Cora a cup of chocolate milk.

Cora grabbed it and started to chug it down. It dripped down her chin, staining her bed sheets.

"Goodness me, you're a mess!" She ripped her sheets off.

Cora had no pants on. She gasped and covered herself with her hands. "Barbra!"

"Get out of bed and wash yourself. You look like you've run a mile."

"All right, all right! No need to get pushy, Barbra."

Cora swung her legs over the edge of her bed and paused. She looked up at the ceiling and pondered something.

"Wait a minute, hold on! I don't have school today."

Barbara grinned with the corner of her mouth. "No, of course, you don't. Nevertheless, you need to clean yourself up and dress your best. We have an audience with a very important person today."

Cora let out a heavy sigh and pounded the bed with her fist. "Who?" she asked, sliding the strap of her gray tank top back up her shoulder. "And more importantly, why do I have to see this person?"

"All will be explained when we arrive at Dallius Towers, my dear."

Cora looked up at her. "Dallius Towers? Isn't that a place reserved for senators from all over Termnnia?"

"Indeed," Barbara said. She turned and walked toward the window to view the beautiful morning cityscape. "And our host would like to see you in person. She's heard so much about you."

Cora frowned. "I thought no one was supposed to know about me outside of school until I got my Blue-Eyes."

"No one important anyway," Ms. Goldwine said with a snicker. She looked back at Cora. "She's a major contributor for Rosenkruz Academy. So I want you to be on your best behavior. Brush your hair, clean your face, and dress your best. Well, hop to it, my dear. Unless you want to visit Dallius Towers in your underwear."

Cora rolled her eyes and got out of bed, then marched to the bathroom.

* * *

After Roland dropped them off, Cora found herself staring up at the towers of white limestone and glass. A waterfall plunged from thousands of feet high into a lake where a town was harbored underneath the shadow of the tower's base.

"That's where the Senators live," said Ms. Goldwine, helping Roland take their things out of the trunk. "It costs twenty-five thousand a year to live there."

"It looks nice," Cora said with a yawn.

She tapped her foot on the ground. As lavish as the towers looked, she did not want to be here. Her first weekend off from school and it had to be spent visiting some politician she'd never even heard of.

"I'm going to die of boredom already."

"Don't be such a drag, Ms. Cora," Barbara said, paying Roland before he left. "Seto Kaiba is investing a lot in you. Remember? The least you can do is smile for our host."

"Just who is this pompous host of ours?"

"Pompous?" Ms. Goldwine placed both hands on her hips and shook her head. "You won't know the meaning of the word unless you look in the mirror, young lady. Need I remind you that I'm going to write a report on your behavior today. I won't leave anything out just so you know. You wouldn't want to upset your father now, would you? It could mean your dragons will get further delayed."

Cora stood as still as the statues of winged knights that lined down the road to the towers and glared at Ms. Goldwine. Seconds later, she formed a huge, overexaggerated - yet sarcastic, smile, flashing all of her teeth.

Ms. Goldwine couldn't help but let out a chortle. "Well, that's a start I suppose. Our guest is Senator Lucina Falto. She's a representative of the Covenant of Yeyu."

Cora's smile quickly faded. Her eyes narrowed, her lips tightened, and her cheeks turned the color of peach.

"I did not just hear that."

Ms. Goldwine pursed her lips and gulped. "Now, Ms. Cora. I know how you feel…"

"You do know my friend was attacked and beaten half to death a few days ago because of them, right?"

"They were radicals, dear child. They don't…"

"Who do you think radicalized them?" Cora almost shouted, extending her arm upward at the towers. "No. No, I refuse to see someone who thinks barbarism is the way to get your point across. Anyone who thinks that way should be prohibited from having any say, let alone a point of view."

"Do you know how many acts of barbarism have been done in the name of the Goddesses? You know that Aeon gang have hurt and even killed people who believe in the Covenant? They did so with gruesome deaths. No one is safe. Not even children. They sent fire mages to attack and burn down a school for children who follow the faith. None of them survived the fire."

Cora stopped talking. She breathed heavily making a hissing noise, almost sounding almost like her Chaos Emperor Dragon after it engulfed the field in flames.

"Yeah, well, we're not at war with the Temple."

Barbara continued. "Oh? And do you know how many times we have been at war with them?"

Cora ground her teeth. "I know the Kings of Termnnia have fought the Temple many times over the ages, but the Temple was not responsible for the slaughter of every True Dragon from Blue-Eyes to Luster Dragon. They didn't cause the genocide of the Arva or commend thugs to beat up people who don't see their point of view."

Ms. Goldwine straightened herself and looked down at Cora. She let out a heavy breath and said: "No point of view is perfect, child. Not even ours. Every one of them has its faults. And each side has it's good and it's bad. Believe it or not, there is some good in the Covenant. You should know Senator Lucina worked tirelessly with the Domino City PD to track down the thugs who harmed your friend. Because of her, they are going to rot in the Satellite Detention Center for the rest of their lives."

"Why would she do that?"

"To denounce them. That's also why she has called upon us to join her this weekend. She, like many other practitioners of the faith, view all this fighting as pointless. They just want to coexist with us peacefully. I don't believe anything the Church of Green Fire preaches, but there are millions who do. And I must respect that. And per the Concordant of Free Speech, everyone in Termnnia has a right to express themselves however they want."

Cora walked toward the bronze rails overlooking the lake. Banners displaying the colors of many Termnnian countries flapped from golden poles.

Ms. Goldwine stepped back to admire Cora's new dress and change the subject. "You look so beautiful."

Cora squeezed her eyes shut. It was a dress fashioned to look like the Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon that was around her neck in the glass card case. It showed off much her decolletage and glittered awfully; for thousands of raindrop-sized diamonds were sewn over the length of the dress. An ornament resembling the dragon's wings embracing an egg-sized aquamarine formed over her breasts.

Her hair was tied into a long ponytail by a white ribbon with gold lace and two, thin, swirled bangs waved over her face.

"Isn't this a little…pretentious?" Cora asked, giving a twirl for Ms. Goldwine.

Ms. Goldwine laughed. "Child. Have you forgotten you're in House Kaiba?"

Cora and Barbara picked up their luggage and walked to the entrance where their host was already waiting for them in front of a fountain. A woman in a long, flowing, purple gown waited for them. Her hair was short, the sides had thin gray stripes.

Cora looked to the top of the circular twin marble staircases that formed around the fountain and saw a boy in lavish gold and lavender robes leaning against a lampost with his arms crossed over his shoulders. He had long, brown hair, tied into a ponytail with a blue ribbon at the end. He watched Cora with a stern look on his face. Cora returned the favor by giving him the same, cold, glare.

"Barbara," said Senator Lucina. She embraced her in a long hug. "It's so good to see you."

"It's been a while, my old friend," Barbara said, planting a kiss on her cheek. She stepped back so Lucina could see Cora.

Lucina's face lit up. "And this is the girl whom Seto Kaiba chose to give his Blue-Eyes to?"

"This is her," said Ms. Goldwine. "Cora Kaiba. Cora, this is Lucina Falto. Needless to say that without her, I could not have landed my job at Kaiba Corp."

"How do you do?" said Cora.

"I'm doing well," said Lucina, circling her. "She's absolutely beautiful."

"And she's quite the Duelist," Ms. Goldwine added. "She beat Prince Clovis Matthias in her first-ever Duel."

Lucina's eyes widened. "Ah, I see. I have heard much praise around here regarding the boy. Then all of a sudden, it vanished. Poof!" She waved a hand in front of Cora's face. "I see I've found the one responsible for that. Good show."

"I beat him again a few days ago," Cora boasted. "He's nothing I can't handle."

The Senator nodded and looked at Ms. Goldwine. "Powerful young lady. She could be her father one day."

"I still have much to teach her in that regard," said Ms. Goldwine.

Lucina nodded in agreement. "Shall we make our way up top? I have our lunch prepared."

"Oh, that would be lovely," said Ms. Goldwine.

Lucina snapped her fingers. "Venarus! Come down at once, please."

The boy in lavender clothing walked down the stairs. "Allow me, miss," he said, taking Ms. Goldwine's bag.

He stepped back to let her pass, then waited for Cora.

"May I?" he asked politely.

Cora jerked the handle of her suitcase out of his reach. "I can handle it, thank you."

She stared sternly at the boy and walked up the circular staircase without any aid.

* * *

"Duelist Hunters," Ms. Goldwine said, pouring Cora a cup of very sweet tea. "The audacity of those people."

Cora shook her head, sitting by a round metal table covered by a white cloth. They were on the roof of a tall building. It was Senator Lucina Falto's home. She transformed the roof into a secret garden paradise complete with fountains, trees, bushes, and all sorts of colorful flowers. Birds of bright colors chirped in the trees and blue butterflies fluttered over the flowers.

"You made all this?" Cora asked in wonder, looking at a rocky waterfall pouring into a pond where their table stood next to.

"With my own two hands," the Senator said, picking a peach from one of the trees shading their table from the blazing sun. "Took me many years to make." She chuckled. "What can I say? I'm a green thumb."

Senator Falto cut the peach into clean slices and put the pit in a big so she could use it later. She hummed a tune as she placed the slices in a white cup then topped them with whipped cream.

"Did you hear the news of Princess Alexis's kidnapping?" Ms. Goldwine asked.

Lucina sighed. "I did. Terrible. Just terrible. The Aeon leader demands the Crown of Swords in exchange for her freedom. They might as well just kill the poor princess now. King Eldon is a strong man, and won't surrender to thugs. To make matters worse, House Rhodes just threatened us with war if she is harmed."

"What foul times we live in," Ms. Goldwine shook her head.

Lucina chuckled. "But we may have hope. Word on the street is some vigilante with a cybernetic dragon is hot on their tail."

Cora gasped. "I think I saw him fly past my window the night she was kidnapped. Something large and serpent-like was following him."

"Ah," said Lucina. "That was him alright. Let's hope he finds her, whoever he is."

Venarus came by carrying a silver platter with Cora's lunch to the table and set it down in front of her.

He bowed and walked away. Cora thanked him, then looked down at her food. She was being treated with a bowl of soup. She frowned, noticing a beautiful blue flower was placed beside the bowl. And it wasn't for display.

The two older women laughed.

"My goodness," said Senator Lucina. "I believe he's taken a liking to you."

"Young love," swooned Ms. Goldwine. "Nothing like it."

"Ugh," Cora went in disgust and tossed the flower away.

"He's from Emboldor, is he not?" Ms. Goldwine asked.

"Yes," Senator Falto replied, sipping her tea.

"How is he adjusting to all this? Being pulled from a land with no technology must have been quite the ordeal for him."

Senator Falto laughed. "He adjusted rather quickly. After living mostly with musty castles, smelly horses, and clackety knights, Eredas quickly grew on him."

Cora placed a napkin over her lap, eyes still glued to the boy as he walked back inside. "Is the West really that deprived of technology?"

"Oh, yes," Lucina Falto replied. "Beyond the Great White Mountains, you won't find so much as a microchip. The only thing mechanical out there are the ancient Machine-Type Duel Monsters that guard ancient fortresses."

Cora grimaced at the thought. "No way. I can't imagine such a life. No phones. No internet. No TV? They don't have anything like we do? Nothing?"

"They are still very happy people," said Lucina. "You don't need such things to enjoy the fruits of life. And one must do so now that we are at war."

Cora shook her head. "No offense, Senator, but as a member of the Covenant, didn't you start this war?"

"Cora!" Barbara snapped.

"Oh no, it's all right," Lucina said, holding up a pacifying hand. "Ms. Cora. That's a very polarized point of view. You know there are many of us who believe the same thing about your people? When we first arrived, your Kings passed many laws that restricted us to the point where we had to pray in the sewers for fear of getting burned at the stake. Our people fought very hard to practice our faith peacefully and freely."

"And now that you have freedom, you want to take ours away?"

Lucina looked at Ms. Goldwine and winked. "She still has much to learn. Well, let's not sit around with our tummy's rumbling. Shall we begin with the blessings?"

A candle flickered in a decorative glass jaw at the center of the table. Silver plates with pastries and finger sandwiches surrounded Cora. She licked her lips. She wanted to just eat one already. But Ms. Goldwine was a very religious woman who respected the Goddesses. They had to pray before they could eat.

Ms. Goldwine clasped her hands together.

"O' beautiful, kind, and loving Altheria, Lady of the Feast. We humbly thank you for this bountiful sup of which you have bestowed upon us. May your kind touch bless this meal and keep our bodies strong from its supplements and free from sickness. And to you, Dwenya, mighty Lady of Justice, thank you for aiding our law enforcement officers in finding the brigands responsible for assaulting Cora's friend, Nixie, the other night. May they feel the white-hot blade of your fury. Hail to the Goddesses."

"Hail," said Lucina.

"Hail," Cora groaned.

But she had to wait again, for Lucina had to bless their meal with her prayers. They were finally done and could begin to eat.

Cora grabbed a sandwich and plopped it in her mouth. "Poor Nixie. I can't believe it. People are hunting us."

Lucina poured milk into her tea. "Your father has hired his personal security outfit, Azure, to secure the school grounds. They are far better trained than the officers of the Domino City PD. Why they even helped your father apprehend the boy known as Aigami many years ago. He is one of the Eyar."

"The who?"

"Great wizards sent by Horakhty to defend our world from the foulness of Zorc. Sadly, many in their order have fallen to darkness. Only one remained true to his mission. Yugi Muto. It was quite a shock for me to learn he was one of them. He's so small."

Cora sipped her tea and smirked. "His magic isn't what I'm interested in."

Ms. Goldwine shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Young lady. It's one thing trying to reach to the top of the charts in your school. But...but facing Yugi Muto."

She leaned forward with a smile. "Child, I'm sorry to say, you are out of your mind. He's the King of Games. The best Duelist in the world. He's so good, your father has been driven mad and spent untold millions of Star Chips trying to defeat him."

"That's my silly dad," chuckled Cora.

"No, princess, this is not a game."

Cora's grin grew wider. She liked being called Princess. Sure, she wasn't royalty, obviously, but Kaiba's corporate empire was far and away stronger than the royal family in their House of Gray. Seto Kaiba had more power than the Eredian King - if not all the Kings of Termnnia put together.

He was practically one himself and the Kaiba Corp logo was his crown and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, his coat of arms. His technology made him exceedingly wealthy and made this city what it is today. And many other kingdoms such as Lorin and Western Thara; even the capital of Termnnia itself, Emboldor, was growing rich with Kaiba Corp technology.

She might as well be a princess.

Her smile faded when she saw Ms. Goldwine's face getting red and becoming a little too affectionate.

"What?"

Ms. Goldwine giggled, gazing into Cora's eyes. They were just the most perfect shade of blue. And in just the right light, they seemed to be glowing, even twinkling like two little sapphires.

"You're just so beautiful," she finally said. "Whoever Seto chooses to marry you to is going to be one lucky man."

"M-m-marri-wha!"

Senator Lucina nodded. "Well, it's only natural Seto chooses someone to betroth you to."

"Out of the question," Cora said defiantly. She folded her arms and crossed one leg over the other. "I refuse being used as a broodmare. Besides, doesn't he have Uncle Mokuba to continue the family line? I don't have Kaiba blood flowing through my veins."

Ms. Goldwine took another sip of tea. "No, of course, you don't. But you've got something better. The blessing of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Seto can throw hundreds of obstacles in your way - maybe even keep you from using them, but he can't deny they chose you. That's why you're here. They want you to use them."

Cora shook her head. "Why can't he see that and just let me play with them?"

"Play? You see, that's one of the reasons why he won't let you have them. You don't just play, Cora. To Seto Kaiba, Duel Monsters isn't just a game. It's war. And only the strong can survive it."

Cora raised an eyebrow. "You people take the game a little too seriously here."

"Nevertheless, how you use the dragons is not my concern. Having them is what makes you so special. That trait alone means a whole lot more than blood or namesake. You are a Kaiba." She rubbed her chin. "Or perhaps you are something more."

"Huh?"

"What if you were the last pure-blooded descendant of House Rosenkruz?"

Cora burst out laughing. "A Vollanti? Barbra, I've heard some whoppers in my time, but holy moly, that one takes the whole cake. You think I'm a Vollanti?"

Lucina patted Ms. Goldwine's hand. "Uh, Barbara, isn't that a little too bold?"

"No, I didn't say she was," Ms. Goldwine said with a chuckle. "You don't have their silvery hair. And your beautiful eyes are the richest shade of blue I've seen, but they're certainly not glowing like theirs were."

"Glowing eyes," Cora twittered. "Man, our people were out of this world in the dawn of time. I don't want to talk about marriage anymore. It might give someone out there the wrong idea. The last thing I want right now is suitors at my door."

Lucina smiled. "That's not your place to say, my dear. Now that you belong to a Great House of Termnnia, you have no say in the matter. If Seto finds you a suitor, you have no choice but to take it. It's your duty as a daughter of House Kaiba."

Cora looked the other way and gave a wave of her hand. "Puh-leez. I belong to no man. And not for nothing, but don't dragons already prefer a girl's touch?" She wriggled her fingers.

"Yes, you're right," Ms. Goldwine replied. "After the Night of Flames and Tears, it surprises me not that these beasts do have a greater affinity for women."

"So maybe that's why they called on me. Oh yeah, and maybe that explains the girl from Normandia. I heard she can summon True Dragons. King Forrest put up quite the bounty on her head. Twenty-five million in gold plus a castle and hundreds and hundreds of acres of land. He must really want her."

"Of course he does," said Lucina. She set her teacup down. "He fears her. She's a summoner of True Dragons. And, if the rumors are true, she's gorgeous. King Forrest thinks he has a claim to all the beautiful women of the world."

She laughed.

"If he can get to her, that is. One beast alone can wipe out an army of a-hundred-thousand men. Dragon Summoners were some of the most feared wizards of their time. They were all killed during the Night of Flames and Tears, and Saffani swore to never let anyone call upon her children again...until now, thanks to the Norman girl."

Cora tapped her finger on her bottom lip. "Wait. If they're that powerful, how did the Church cause their extinction?"

Lucina leaned back in her chair and sighed. That was a bit of history that caused people to hate her beloved Covenant.

"I hate to say it, little one, but Balodrum is by far the most technologically advanced continent on the planet. Our technology, I'm sorry to say, is far more advanced than even Eredas's. They were so advanced that they created machines of war so powerful that a dragon could be killed without a thought."

Ms. Goldwine nodded and said: "But thankfully, there were not powerful enough to take on the God Cards. Thanks to them we expelled those invaders back to where they came from."

"Which is why I believe there's someone out there looking to keep Prince Yuri from coming back," said Lucina. "I say it's Forrest. He must be behind it."

"Well, duh," said Cora. "If Prince Yuri comes back, we have a new High King. And if there's a High King on the Diamond Throne, we have God Cards. They come back, and there goes King Forrest's holy crusade. Um...no offense."

Lucina replied with a wan smile. "It's all right, my dear. Perhaps you're right. The Hierarch of the Covenant has gotten a little too overzealous. Believe it or not, I want that boy to return. With the God Cards on the table, it's a whole new game. People will have no choice but to negotiate. He is the key to bringing back the peace."

"To Yuri," Ms. Goldwine said, holding up her cup.

"May he rule well and unite our people," added Lucina. "Cora, you are a lucky girl. You will be studying Duel Monsters with him at the academy."

"I can't wait," Cora answered, her shoulders bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Well, to go there you must have great skill. Why don't you show me what you've got in a Duel?"

Cora sat up, her eyes widening. "You wish to play against me, Senator?"

"Not quite," Venarus said, coming out of the house with a Duel Disk of silver-steel already activated on his wrist. "Come, Ms. Cora. It's time to Duel."

* * *


	12. The Voice of Yeyu

**Cora**

* * *

"You sure you want to do this?" Cora asked her surprise opponent. Before she could morph her ring into a Duel Disk, she turned and looked at Senator Lucina with a puzzled look. "Wait. I thought your Church prohibited playing Duel Monsters."

Senator Lucina merely replied with a wide grin. "There are many of us who feel the rules of the White-Gold Tome are far too strict and too - how do I put it? - bloody. You'd be surprised how many Schools of Yeyu have permitted children to play Duel Monsters, Cora. Of course, many of the cards had to be censored or banned from play. Certain artwork is a little too raunchy."

Cora laughed. "You're telling me. When I played against Brandy at school, she summoned a card called Water Omatics. Wooo. Should have seen the boo..."

"Ahem," Ms. Goldwine coughed into her fist. "We get the picture, Cora. Please. Let's get this game underway. I think a Duel would do us all some good."

**LP 4000**

"You may begin first," said Venarus.

Cora smirked at the boy. "If you say so. You look like a scrub so I'll take it easy on you. Here's Hunter Dragon in attack mode. Then I set a card face-down. Your turn."

"Scrub, huh? Isn't it like a Kaiba to underestimate their opponent? Well, I'll teach you some manners. I banish from my hand, The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave and Blackland Fire Dragon to special summon from my hand, World Legacy Guardragon Mardark!"

"Aw, shit!" Cora cursed, taking a few steps back when the colossal black-feathered dragon appeared behind the boy.

"I see you know about this beast," said Venarus. "Well, you should know your monsters lose five-hundred attack points for each dragon I have on the field. Including Mardark."

Hunter Dragon groaned and sulked to the ground, feeling his energy getting drained from the darkness that Mardark filled the field with. His ATK decreased to 1200.

Venarus pointed dramatically at the Hunter Dragon. "World Legacy Guardragon Mardark, attack!"

The black beast flapped his wings and flew towards the sky. He released a jet of green flames that burned Hunter Dragon to cinders. Cora shielded her face with her arms. The heat stung her exposed flesh and the powerful gusts created by the attack caused her hair and dress to flap helplessly.

Her Life Points plummeted to 2600.

"Not bad for a scrub, eh?" Venarus asked.

Cora narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists. "All right. You were able to hit me with a cheap shot. I draw!"

_Nice!_ She looked at Venarus with a mischievous grin. "All right, Venny-Ven. Let's see how you handle this. I summon Keeper of Dragon Magic."

She violently struck her card down on the Duel Disk. An arcane circle formed behind her. The center started glowing brightly. SMASH! A warrior in silvery-blue armor shot out of the circle, shattering it like glass. He leaped into the air, extending his arms and grunting fiercely. An indigo surcoat outlined in silver flapped around his waist. Behind his helmet, a plume of snow-white hair waved in the breeze.

Venarus laughed. "Impressive creature, Cora. But at eighteen-hundred attack points, he's of no good to you. Oh, wait. I mean thirteen-hundred on the count of my Mardark's special ability."

"I have Mardark, too, Ven," snapped Cora. "I know what the hell he does. But it's not my Keeper of Dragon Magic's attack points that you should be worried about. I discard a card to the Graveyard to add Polymerization to my hand. Next, I use my Keeper's second ability. I select a Fusion monster in my Extra Deck and then I can select one of the materials needed to summon it from the Graveyard face-down. Rise up Hunter Dragon. Next, I play Return of the Dragon Lords to bring back Dragon Core Hexer from the Graveyard."

She conjured a woman in black armor resembling a the taint of a demonic dragon that consumed her. Long, ghostly, blue hair fluttered behind her like a cape. She wielded an incredibly large sword, which she smashed on the ground as intimidation. Venarus only smirked; for Mardark reduced her 2300 ATK to 1800.

"I'll wipe that smirk off your face, Ven," Cora said, growing rather agitated. "I use Polymerization, fusing together Hunter Dragon and Dragon Core Hexer to become an all-power creature who flew the skies during the dawn of time. The first of mighty Saafani's creations. First of the Dragons!"

The sky darkened and a fierce wind blew on Senator Lucina's trees. The birds grew frightened and fluttered off into the sky.

"Look!" shouted Lucina. She pointed at the sky.

A dragon so large that it blotted out the sun loomed over the top of Dallius Towers. Burning, ruby-red eyes peered down at Mardark, who didn't feel so large anymore. The First of the Dragons was over a mile long, its wings spread over many districts. The horns and spikes adorning its body were as tall as an apartment building.

It roared, creating a fierce wind that almost knocked down many of Senator Valius's trees.

"Oh my!" shouted Mrs. Goldwine. "Look at that thing."

Ven was nervous at first. The dragon was just so large; it took hundreds of holoprojectors placed around the city to fully render that beast. But he looked at Mardark and grinned. He straightened the neck of his coat and said: "As impressive as your First of the Dragons is, Cora, my Mardark's special ability will weaken him down to size."

He pushed a button on his Duel Disk to open a holographic screen that gave him a bird's eye view of the playing field. He tapped on First of the Dragons. His heart sank. Venarus gulped and looked up at the monster, snarling at him.

Cora burst out laughing. "Sorry, Venny-Ven, but First of the Dragons cannot be affected by your cards. Therefore, Mardark's effect will do you no good here."

First of the Dragons opened its mouth and fired a tornado of flames. It encircled Mardark and reduced him to ash. Venanrus lost 100 Life Points as a result of the battle. But there was still the matter of Keeper of Dragon Magic - who came out of of the dust cloud and struck Venarus in the chest with his majestic lance. He slid back on his feet and came to a stop right in front of the door. His Life Point took a nosedive to 2100.

He rubbed his chest. "Nice play," he said. "I wanted to go easy on you because you're a lady. But it looks like the gloves come off, Cora."

Cora placed both hands on her hips, which she shook playfully. "Oooo, I'm shaking in my boots. Seriously, was Mardark the best you can do to keep me down?"

"I was foolish to rely on one monster to keep Cora Kaiba down for the duration of the Duel. But I will not be making that mistake again. I activate Pot of Greed and draw two cards. Then I use Trade-In, discarding Tri-Horned Dragon and draw an extra two cards. Most excellent. It's time to show you what a real Dragon Duelist can do, Cora. I summon Lord of Dragons. Next, I use Flute of Summoning Dragon to bring forth Spear Dragon and Blizzard Dragon. Now, I Overlay my three monsters to concoct a beast who knows that three-heads are better than one."

"Three-heads..." Cora gulped, remembering the titan Kaiba was riding in her dream. A bead of sweat rolled down her cheek. All of a sudden she felt her fingers feeling more and more like jelly. Her cards rattled in her weakening grip.

"Look at you!" sneered Venarus. "You're already trembling. As you should be. Behold, Number 57: Tri-Head Dust Dragon!"

Lord of Dragons, Blizzard Dragon, and Spear Dragon turned into orbs that then orbited around a dust tornado that shot out of the ground, collecting all the dirt and dust in the garden. The tornado took the form of three, long, dragon heads coming from a fiery orb at the center.

"A Number Card!" shouted Cora. "Just like my Galaxy Dragon. You have one, too!?"

Venarus nodded. "Of course I do. This beast is the very symbol of my House. I worked hard and Dueled my best to acquire it. Why even the Number Hunters Guild put a bounty on my head because of this card. And now, you will feel its wrath."

"Wrath?" Ms. Goldwine said with a condescending scoff. "At one-hundred attack points, what can it do?"

"Barbara, dear," said Senator Lucina. "Being a woman who uses those maids, you of all people should know that attack points don't matter. And remember, Venarus's dragon is an all-powerful Number Card, so it has a nasty surprise in store for his opponent. With its special ability, he can select one monster on the field and then his dragon gains attack points equal to the selected monster's current attack points." She chuckled. "It's not hard to see who he's going to pick."

"Oh, indeed, it won't," said Venarus. "I choose your First of the Dragons, Cora. And now my Tri-Headed Dragon's attack increases to twenty-eight-hundred, which is just enough to take your beast down! ATTACK!"

The dust dragon's head sucked up fiery energy from the orb and shot it out of their mouths with three powerful jets. The blast hit First of the Dragons. Cora lost 100 of her Life Points, but the beast was still hovering over the field.

Venarus gasped. "But wait, what's going on here? My attack should have destroyed your dragon."

"Should' a, would' a, could' a," Cora teased him. "But it didn't. First of the Dragons can't be destroyed in battle except by Normal monsters."

"Darn! Well, I can still prevent you from summoning anything more. I detach one of my dragon's materials and choose a space on your board. I choose one in your Monster Zone."

The middle head spat on the space he chose, creating a tornado of dust.

A warning beeped on Cora's Duel Disk. She activated a screen to see the field and saw a big X on the spot. "What the hell? What did you do?"

Venarus laughed out loud. "So long as my Tri-Headed Dragon is on the field, you will not be able to use that spot, my dear. "It's your move."

"I draw!" shouted Cora. "I choose to end my turn without playing a card and then I switch Keeper of Dragon Magic to defense mode."

"Running scared, eh? Well, watch this, my dear. I use Pot of Desires, banishing the top ten cards in my deck face-down. And then I draw two. Yes. This will do. I use my own Return of the Dragon Lords to bring back Tri-Horned Dragon from the Graveyard. But, he won't stay for long. I sacrifice him to summon my Strong Wind Dragon!"

Another fierce wind blew around the garden, causing Senator Lucina to lose her cool. "That's it! This is the last time I will allow a Duel in my garden!"

Venarus conjured an overly muscular teal-colored beast with a patch of yellow over its abdomen. Green see-through wings flapped violently as he soared over the garden and landed behind Venarus with a great crash.

**ATK/2400**

Cora tapped her foot on the ground. "Kind of dumb sacrificing a stronger beast for something weaker, huh? And Tri-Horned Dragon was a Normal monster, too. He could have finished off my First of the Dragons."

Venarus shook his head and snickered. "You fool! Strong Wind Dragon comes with a very deadly ability. His power increases by half of the tributed monster's attack points, increasing my Strong Wind Dragon's attack to thirty-eight-twenty-five. Now I have the strongest monster on the field. Attack, my monsters!"

Tri-Head Dragon destroyed Keeper of Dragon Magic. Then, Venarus commanded Strong Wind Dragon to attack First of the Dragons. It did not destroy the beast, but it still dealt a blow to Cora's Life Points. Now she stood at a mere 975 Life Points.

"You're not doing so well, my dear. Remind me again which one of us is the scrub?"

Cora smirked. "You are."

"What?"

"I activate Graceful Charity. Now I draw three cards and discard two. Now I summon Flamvell Guard. A Tuner monster. And I'll use him and First of the Dragons to Synchro Summon Ascension Sky Dragon!"

The sky parted and let down a paradisiacal ray of light, which was the path the guided a heavenly white dragon with a serpentine body, long arms, fins traced with gold, and periwinkle-colored membranes.

It had 3000 DEF but it's ATK points were ?

"Cora it's beautiful!" Ms. Goldwine said in astonishment. She clasped her hands over her chest and marveled at the beast.

"But why are its attack points unknown?" asked Lucina.

Cora used her fingertips to brush hair over her shoulder. "Because my Ascension Sky Dragon's attack points are determined by how many cards I have. Its attack increases by eight-hundred for each card I hold. And I have three."

"That card will still do you no good!" shouted Venarus. "Its attack points are a mere twenty-four hundred."

Cora giggled. "Who said I'm using this dragon to defeat you? I activate my face-down card, Polymerization. Now, I fuse Ascension Sky Dragon and Dragon Horn Hunter to Fusion Summon, Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste!"

The Dragon Knight took the place of the sky dragon. He spun out of a vortex and spread his wings, showing off his lance of gold and white-steel. His body was covered in layered blue enameled armor outlined in gold.

**Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste**

**ATK/3200 DEF/2000**

**LV 10**

** **

"Impressive!" said Venarus. "And I assume he has an ability to bypass my offensive, correct?"

Cora smiled. She was charmed to know that Venarus accepted he was outmatched. "Yes," she replied. "Draco-Equiste allows me to banish a Dragon-Type Synchro Monster from the Graveyard. For the duration of the turn, he gains that dragon's abilities."

Venarus stepped back in shock. "Which means..."

"Which means, Dragon Knight Draco-Equsite will have the same ability as Ascension Sky Dragon. Now he will have his attack points increased by eight-hundred for every card in my hand. So now I'll use my last card, Card of Sancity, allowing us to draw until we have six cards."

**ATK/8000**

"Eight-thousand!" Ms. Goldwine gasped.

Cora pointed at the Tri-Headed Dust Dragon. "Attack him now!" she commanded.

Dragon Knight Draco-Equiste flapped his wings and flew towards the creature. It jabbed its lance into the dragon's fiery-core. Tri-Headed Dust Dragon screeched in anguish and exploded, blasting Venarus with massive damage, reducing him to 0. He screamed as the eruption knocked him off his feet and sent him to the ground where he rolled to a stop.

A slow clap followed the explosion as it died down.

"Well done."

Venarus stood up at once. "S-Seto Kaiba!"

"Mr. Kaiba." Senator Lucina stood up and bowed. Ms. Goldwine followed. "What a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"It was just business as usual until I saw three very particular monsters appear over this building. Monsters whom I gave to her. Well done, Cora. You might have what it takes after all. I'm impressed."

Cora stood at attention as though she was a soldier and rapidly blinked her eyes. Tears of joy, not from his compliment, but because of the smile he bore. It was rare to make Seto Kaiba smile. In fact, it was almost impossible. But she did it. She managed to make the Iron Dragon of Eredas smile. It not only meant that he was happy but he also harbored some pride for her in him.

"Here," he said reaching into the pocket of his white coat. "I think you deserve this."

Cora bit her lip. Could it be? Could this be the moment she was waiting for? He sipped out the object. YES! Duel Monster cards.

She gently took them and felt a little discouraged when she felt only two. She flipped them over.

Saffira, Queen of Dragons and her Ritual card, Hymn of Light.

Kaiba sniggered at her disappointment. "Something told me that she probably belongs to you. Use her well."

"I will...father."

"Seto," he corrected her sternly and walked away, causing Cora's heart to sink.

She was not there yet, it seemed.

* * *

Later that night, Cora had to attend a party with Senator Lucina and her guests. She walked out of a long hallway where two men in white enameled armor stood at attention. They bowed for her and opened the door to let her pass. The party room had a panoramic view of the city, now covered by storm clouds that flashed constantly. The tops of only the highest buildings could be seen outside. Thunder rumbled, but the building was so sturdy it merely came out as a soft bellow. Rain splattered the glass walls.

A crystal chandelier lit up the room and a wide fireplace added warmth to the guests. A famous pianist was playing soothing songs near one of the windows. He had short golden hair and wore a glittery swallowtail coat with lacy cuffs. His trousers even sparkled. All ten of his rings were ornamented with stunning rings that were crowned with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and aquamarines.

Cora quickly learned the boy was Jack Ganon, a fellow student from Rosenkruz Academy and future student to the elite Duelist Academy across the sea. He ran an Ocrust deck, an archetype of musical machine monsters which earned him the name of The Maestro. There was a horde of girls standing behind him, swooning and giggling. Some were holding heart-shaped boxes of chocolate tightly over their chests.

"Cora!" someone said in astonishment.

Cora turned. Her eyes widened. Standing before her was Kasumi. The same girl who haunted her nightmares the night before. But...she was not riding on top of a dragonic ogre, commanding it to eat her flesh. She wore a floral pink gown that faded to white near the tip. It was so short it didn't reach past her thighs, save for the back part, which flowed behind her, festooned with silk flowers. Her high-heeled slippers were pink and topped with a pink ribbon crusted with two diamonds. Flower-shaped earrings dangled from her ears and she wore a tiara of white-gold with flowers coated with sparkling diamonds.

"It's you! I...uh...I mean. Princess Kasumi. What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same," Kasumi answered. She drank the last of her champagne. "You look nice."

"So do you. I didn't know you were acquainted with Senator Lucina."

"Well, I live here with my uncle, who is a Senator representing our country. I live with him in the King's District."

Cora gave a wan smile. "I guess that makes us neighbors."

Kasumi giggled. "Well, I never thought of it that way. Come on. I never really got the chance to get to know you."

Cora's eyes darted upward and she shrugged. "Well, you blew me off when I tried."

"Tried to Duel me," Kasumi replied. "I apologize if I came off as haughty." She tilted her head toward the balcony.

Cora nodded and followed. "I, uh...can't help but notice your Emboldorian is pretty fluent. You don't have that accent that many Uzumense have."

Kasumi laughed. "I've been learning it since I was very young. Father hired scholars from Katina, even the Spire of the Kings, and they came flooding in with books. But I want to talk about you. Where did you come from? I've grown up watching Seto Kaiba all my life and I never heard of him having a daughter. You just came out of thin air."

She led her outside where they stood beside a fountain with a bronze statue of a naked woman holding a jar where the water came out. The balcony was shielded by a steel awning, keeping them both dry from the rain.

"Well?" Kasumi asked.

"I feel like I came out of thin air," Cora replied. She walked to a table with plates of food. She helped herself to a few pigs in a blanket. "I can't really explain it. My life is a blur. No end or no beginning."

"You have no memory of your past? Interesting. What about your knowledge of the Elvish language. I heard you singing in the shower at school. The Ballad of Alluniva White-Blade. Only the Elves tell each other that story. How do you know it?"

Cora shrugged. "I just do. I'm telling you the truth, Princess."

Kasumi smiled and fixed one of the swirled bangs over Cora's face, twirling it around her finger. "Just Kasumi."

Cora's cheek twitched. "Of course," she said as Kasumi finally let it go.

"I've never known a Kaiba to tell a lie," Kasumi said, helping herself to another glass of champagne. "Even an adopted one. Your father won't accept that, I'm sure. Nevertheless, here comes the money question. I saw your Duel with Venarus earlier today. Very impressive. Those dragons you used are beautiful but they're not the creature we want to see. Where or where are your Blue-Eyes White Dragons, Cora?"

"Oh, Seto," Cora scoffed as she gave a light snort. "You don't want to know what he made me do in order to get them. First, I had to beat one-thousand opponents."

"Gracious!"

"Yeah. And I had to do so in a short amount of time. But, with Prince Talion's death and the war getting closer to home, Kaiba said I had to achieve the rank of one while at Rosenkruz."

"Oh, is that all?" said Kasumi. "You know, now that Prince Clovis has been bumped down to second place, I am the Rank One Duelist in school. There is a way we can arrange something between you and me."

"Oh? Tell me more."

"If you face me and defeat me, you can earn the spot if I lose. It's one of the perks of being Rank One. Everyone comes after you and one loss bumps you down in Rank. To have it, you must defend it. It's sort of like those championship belts that wrestlers vie over in their shows."

Cora shrugged, to which Kasumi giggled. "It's how things are done in Rosenkruz."

"So you're saying if I beat you, I can take your spot?"

"Not at your current rank. You have to be one of the school's Top 10 to have a go for the spot of Number One. And with the way I've seen you Duel, you can earn your way up there in no time."

"You really think so?"

Kasumi beamed at her - her amber eyes twinkling. "I do. You're not such a scrub after all."

Cora blushed and bit her lip. "So, uh...what were you doing listening to me in the shower?"

The Princess chortled and walked towards the railing. "Well, what can I say? Your voice was rather...soothing. Especially after playing tackle tag with the guys during gym. I have grown to enjoy many things in my life, Cora. Music, poetry, magic, Duel Monsters, art, and most of all, beauty."

Cora shivered. She twiddled her fingers and asked: "Do you find me beautiful, Princess?"

"Why wouldn't she?" Jack Ganon asked, walking towards the two girls. "Ah, I must have been born under a lucky star to be surrounded by such beauty. Princess Kasumi and the mysterious Cora Kaiba, future wielder of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

"Mr. Ganon!" Cora cried out. "I..uh..."

"Just Jack," he said, taking her hand and kissing it. He loved the smell of the oils coating it and kissed it again. "Kasumi, why didn't you tell me you wished to be acquainted with Cora Kaiba."

Kasumi stood where she was and said nothing.

"You know each other?" Cora asked as Jack walked by her.

"Know her?" He laughed and put an arm over her shoulder. "She's my fiancee."

"Oh..." Cora said blankly. She felt as though someone doused her heart in acid. She could practically feel it oozing down her chest. "My congratulations."

"Thank you," said Jack. "It was arranged as soon as she got here. Her family wished to do business with us."

"What exactly do you do?"

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but my uncle is one of the treasurers of the East Termnnia Trading Company. My House specializes in selling the likes of art, furniture, and musical instruments. And, no doubt, the prospect of a famous piano player like myself is ample inducement. You have heard of me, have you?"

"No. I can't say that I have," Cora replied rather sternly.

"Jack Ganon. The Maestro they call me at school. And I have a concert this weekend that has sold out. Perhaps you'd like to join the Princess in the VIP box?"

"And make yourself look good for the press?" Kasumi said with a roll of her eyes. "No. Besides, I think Cora has much to do."

"That I do. It's not easy being a Kaiba."

Jack nodded in agreement, his long locks swung back and forth. "What about you, Cora? Has there been any arrangements made for you?"

"No, thank the Goddesses."

"You should do well and prepare for such a time," said Kasumi. "It can hit you when you least expect it."

"And it could happen at any time," said Jack. "Cora is a great prize. I mean look at her. Intelligent, charming, a great Duelist. Her beauty is just breathtaking; it must be the work of Ana's hands. And her name: Kaiba. That name just reeks of power and wealth. Not to mention being married to a girl who can summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon could prove to be beneficial politically."

"How do you figure that?" Cora asked. "As rare as it is, t's just a card."

Kasumi looked as if someone punched her in the chest "Just a card? Cora, as a Daughter of House Kaiba, you should know that beast is more than just a card. It's a legendary creature who practically aided the first Men to build this world into what it is today."

"Until High Queen Evangelia beat them to extinction in the Waltz of the Dragon Queens," Jack chortled as he ridiculed the history. "Nevertheless, it should help repel against anyone who wished to take your power with the Dueling Pact. I mean who would dare challenge a House with a Duelist who wields the Blue-Eyes White Dragon? It is powerful, destructive, and very easy to summon if you know how to play it."

"And I will," said Cora. "Once I have those dragons in my deck, none would dare challenge me. I will see to that."

Jack nodded. "Ah, hot-headed and passionate just like her father."

Cora looked over his shoulder noticed that Nixie was there, sitting by another fountain. She was gowned in an ebony cocktail dress but was stuck on a wheelchair. Her hair was up and curled. Despite how beautiful she looked, it did not hide the bruises that marred her beautiful face.

"Excuse me," said Cora.

"It's fine," said Kasumi. "I need to find the powder room."

"And I have another song to play. Cora, it was a great pleasure."

Cora did curtsey and walked away. She hurried to her friend, waving at her to get her attention.

"Cora! Hey!" Nixie said with a cough.

They hugged.

"What are you doing here?" Cora asked. "You know who's hosting this party, right?"

"I do. I don't feel comfortable being here," Nixie said, scarfing down peanut butter chicken wings. "These are the people who condone these attacks."

Cora patted her shoulder. "I've known Senator Lucina for a short while. In fact, I have to get to know her for the weekend. We have to strengthen our bond with the Church of Green Fire."

"They can all kiss my ass," Nixie spat. "Might as well, they already branded it."

"What?"

"You don't know? They heated up this iron in the shape of the false god's eye and stuck on on my rump as though they were marking cattle. It will never heal because it's a curse."

"A curse?"

"Watch," Nixie said holding up her palm. She tried to create a simple fire spell, but only a few embers came out. Eventually only steam billowed from her fingertips.

Nixie tried again and again to create the spell which she knew by heart. She smashed her fist on the side of the fountain and sobbed.

"What's going on?" Cora asked. She knelt down and rubbed the back of her friend's head. "What's keeping you from using your spell?"

"I've been 'cleansed' as they call it. Cleansed? It's a fucking hex. The Eye of Yeyu prevents me from using any kind of magic. I'm doomed to remain simple for the rest of my life. I wanted to be a Summoner. I wanted to conjure a Black Tyranno or a Two-Headed King Rex. Now, I can't."

"Can you Duel?"

"I can. That's one thing they won't stop me from doing. Senator Lucina compensated me for the attack. But no amount of money will ever bring back my ability to cast magic. It's not fair! It's my right as a child born into this world. To have it just taken away because one deems it injust is just so maddening."

"We only do what we can."

Cora turned and scowled at who greeted them. It was the man from the television program. Alfred Knox. He seemed even nastier in person. His strong cologne seemed to pollute the air.

"So, you're Cora Kaiba. The rumors of a Daughter of House Kaiba are true."

"Don't speak to me, please. In fact, go away!"

Knox grinned and let out a sadistic chuckle. "I see you are prejudice against my faith. Typical. What can one expect from an abomination who uses monsters and practices magic? You should do well to accept the true faith of Termnnia, girl. Your kings are failing left and right. Our champion, King Forrest, has conquered all of the North. It's only a matter of time before the Holy Army marches south to reclaim the South and the Diamond Throne."

"We will never lose to you!" shouted Cora, acting as a shield to block Nixie from his view. "Prince Yuri is coming home soon. And when he does, you'll be sorry. The God Cards are going to kick Forrest's fat ass back North. You're going to wish you never treated our people this way."

Knox let out a terrible wheezing laugh. "Prince Yuri? What is he? Your savior or something? I wouldn't expect him for long if I were you. King Antilles is a fool if he thinks that keeping the boy stuck beyond the Gate will make him safe."

He held out his arms.

"I am the true savior of this city. I am the Voice of Yeyu. My word reaches the ears of those who thirst for salvation from the foulness of Zorc and those who would use his fell gifts so willingly. Day by day, people wake up to the evil that is magic. To the greed of your politicians. Elections are coming up and our Covenant has plenty of representatives ready for office. Our numbers are high and our ratings are skyrocketing. People are seeing the truth about your kind. The truth about your way of life! Soon we will have control over this city and nothing will please me more than to brand you and the rest of your friends and have you placed in prison to rot for the rest of your days. But I won't have to wait long for that. Election day is coming. Enjoy your last moments of freedom girls. The great cleansing of this city is about to begin."


	13. The Nightmare with Eyes of Blue

* * *

** Prince Clovis**

* * *

Many weeks had passed since Cora first started school. And as time passed on, she grew closer to getting the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Now, she won enough Duels to earn herself the points needed to put her in the top ten of Rosenkruz Academy. Of course, not if Clovis had any say about it. He challenged her to a Duel to stop her from going up any farther in the ranks. And with the reputation she earned, beating her would give the lucky Duelist a great boost in points which could soar them up the leaderboards.

With this victory, Clovis would earn 1500 Points, which could put him back to the top. Then, he would challenge Kasumi for the Rank 1 spot. It all rode on the next card Cora was about to play.

Dragon Shrine. That was the card the Cora held up.

Yes!

It was just what he was waiting for. She sent Dragon Core Hexer and Alexandrite to the Graveyard and banished them. Light and Dark. She was going to do it. She was finally going to summon that dreaded creature who had cost him his rank. In front of the whole school, he was finally going to prove them all that Cora's victories over him were sheer dumb luck.

"Chaos Emperor Dragon!" she shouted, summoning the beast to the field. He rose out of the ground behind her, spread his wings, and roared, swinging his neck from side to side to intimidate the arrogant prince who dared to challenge his master again. 3000 ATK Points displayed for all to see.

Clovis had his Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning standing alongside a Vermillion Dragon Mech on the field.

Standing at only 950 Life Points, Cora could not afford to activate her Chaos Emperor's special ability to purge the field and their hands and deal damage to Clovis. But it was still the strongest monster on the field. Clovis prayed that her past victories - or flukes as he liked to call them - would bring out the arrogance in her and blind her of the face-down cards he had specially prepared for her.

"Chaos Emperor Dragon!" she shouted. "Attack his Vermillion Mech Dragon!"

"Oh, I think not!" Clovis yelled. He revealed the trap he laid out for her. "Behold! I reveal the trap Shadow Spell!"

Black chains slithered out of thin air and wrapped themselves around Cora's dragon. Chaos Emperor roared writhing in his bindings. His wings were so compressed around his body that it brought him great discomfort.

Clovis held up his fist and laughed maniacally. "That's it, Demon! Wriggle like the worm you are. There, you see! Not only can you dragon not attack, but it will also cause him to lose seven-hundred more attack points, bringing your all-powerful beast down to size."

Cora blew a bubble with her gum. "Well, you sure as hell tied him up."

"That I have," Clovis boasted. "I have rendered your most powerful dragon useless."

Chaos Emperor roared again. "Shut that beast up, Shadow Spell!" Clovis commanded. The chains wrapped around Chaos Emperor Dragon's snout, keeping him from roaring again. He thrashed his head around, the chains rattled and clanked violently.

"Try all you want, Demon! It will do you no good. Your master has failed you!"

"For the moment," said Cora. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"Aw, is that all?" Clovis jeered. "Well, too bad for you. My turn. As much as I love seeing your Chaos Emperor in chains, Cora, he's starting to become an eyesore. I activate my Vermillion Mech Dragon's effect. I can banish a Tuner monster and the select a card you have and destroy it. Say goodbye to your Chaos Emperor, Cora!"

"Don't count on it!"

"WHAT?!"

"I activate my Trap, Dark Illusion! When a DARK monster I have is chosen by a Spell, Trap, or Monster Effect, I can negate the activation and destroy it."

"NO!"

Vermillion Mech Dragon screeched and exploded. Clovis stood his ground, arms over his head to shield himself from the blast.

"And that's not all, Clovis. Since I used a Counter Trap to negate one of your cards, I can special summon this bad boy. Van'Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord!"

"NO!" Clovis roared. He lost his footing and fell on his butt, watching in horror as Cora's beast loomed out of the shadows and stood directly over her. The other students in the arena cheered and whistled.

Cora placed her hand on her hip and tilted it as she smirked, finding Clovis's fear to be rather entertaining. "And since my counter negated the activation of a monster, Van'Dalygon allows me to special summon a monster from my Graveyard. Rise, Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand!

The ground in front of Cora cracked. Warm rays of light burst from the fissure and then with a great smash, the divine golden dragon flew out and spread his wings. His scales glittered like a gold mine and his platinum scales cast rainbow hues in the light.

"Oooo, that's too bad," mocked Cora. "Before you go raving on about how your Black Luster Soldier is the most powerful monster on the field, I think I should explain my Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand's special effect. When he's special summoned from the Graveyard, I can banish your soldier!"

Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand roared, casting a magic spell that activated a portal, which sent Black Luster Soldier away.

"That's not all, my royal friend. When he banishes a monster, Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand gains one-hundred attack points equal to the level of your monster. I count eight, so that's eight-hundred attack points for my dragon."

**ATK/3600**

"My monsters!" cried Clovis. "I have only this United We Stand card in my hand. I...I can't do anything."

"That you can't, so I believe it's my turn. I draw." She giggled. "Consider this payback for clipping my dragon's wings, Clovis. I use Mystical Space Typhoon, freeing my dragon from your Shadow Spell!"

A fierce, magical wind blew and weakened the chains. Chaos Emperor Dragon snarled and burst out of them, roaring in a hellish fury. He looked down at Clovis, no doubt thinking he was an absolute fool for believing his chains were going to be enough to stop Cora.

"I've gotta ask you something, Clovis," said Cora. "Do you like getting your ass handed to you by powerful dragons?"

"Wait...stop!"

Chaos Emperor Dragon, Van'Dalgyon, and Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand flew up in unison. They combined their attacks; their fire breaths forming together to become a hot-pink fiery dragon with bright yellow eyes.

"NOOOOOO!"

He flew out of the arena and landed with a big thud on the ground. A bright light suddenly flashed in the arena next to Cora. She saw a bright light slithering out of M's Duel Disk.

His opponent was laughing at him, for he summoned an undead beast called Berserk Dragon who had 3500 ATK. On M's side of the field, he had a beautiful card. A holy archbishop by the name of Curious, the Lightsworn Dominion, who stood with only 2400 ATK.

"All right, here we go!" M's opponent shouted. "Your Lightsworn Dominion stands no chance against my Berserk Dragon. Attack!"

"Your attack will be rendered useless with this!" M shouted. "I activate Spiritual Swords of Revealing Light! I pay a thousand Life Points and stop your attack!"

Heavenly swords appeared in front of Curious and formed a magical aegis that kept her secure. The fiery blast from the undead dragon receded into nothing but steam.

"I end my turn!" said M's opponent, who was a young earl. "My dragon loses five-hundred attack points because of this, but he is still the strongest on the field."

"Not for long he's not!" shouted M. "Time to shed some light into this Duel. I summon Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner and with her effect, I'm allowed to resurrect Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn! Next, I activate my spell, Falling Current. I declare a monster level between one and three and I can either increase or decrease the level of one monster on the field. I will choose to increase Lumina's level by one. Now the conditions are set to summon an all-powerful dragon of my own, who will cleanse the field of your foul beast. I tune Lumina and Raiden together to form the mystical Judgement, The Dragon of Heaven!"

The heavens ripped open, allowing beams of light to shine down from the clouds. An earth-shattering roar caused the arena to tremble. A brilliant, white-feathered dragon soared from the sky. It had six legs, five tails that were fifty yards long, and six wings that spanned the length of the arena. The tips of some of its feathers faded into sky blue. Its claws were ruby red and it had a golden crown on its mighty brow.

**ATK/3000**

"Finally the last card of the Duel!" M held it up. "Monster Reborn. Thought you've seen the last of my boss monster, well, tough luck. Return, Michael, the Arch-Lightsworn!"

A Judgement Dragon roared as it flew down from the clouds. Riding on top of him was a divine warrior armored in white-gold armor. Golden wings flapped behind him and he carried a divine sword that looked like light turned solid.

**ATK/2600**

"I pay one thousand of my Life Points to activate Michael's effect. He will now banish your Berserk Dragon back into the abyss!"

Michael held up his sword. He summoned an arcane circle that acted as a mystical gate. It opened and sucked Berserk Dragon back into the abyss from whence it came. With his banishment, the Earl was left wide open for an attack.

"Is it too late to surrender!" he cried.

"Far too late!" shouted M. "Attack him directly guys!"

Curious, Michael and Judgement worked together and blasted last 6000 of the boy's Life Points away. He flipped through the air and landed on his back with a thud. The students cheered loudly for M as the results of the Duel came in. He gained 500 points of the victory, bumping him to tenth place. He had done it. He was now one of the schools ten best Duelists. He cheered for joy, jumping up and down, punching the air. He ran across the field with his arms out as if absorbing the praise from the other students. Judgment, the Dragon of Heaven roared triumphantly for his master before he disappeared.

He pointed at Cora, who was applauding him from her arena. "I'm coming for you!" he shouted. "I'm coming for you!"

Meanwhile, Prince Clovis gathered himself and sulked out of the arena.

* * *

**Madame Angelmen**

* * *

"This card is going to your cousin," Madame Angelmen said, removing Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning from his deck. She tossed the rest of his cards on the floor and turned towards her desk. She placed the card in a polished wooden case and then sealed it in a safe on the wall with her gold and jewelry.

"Auntie! Please! Give me another chance!" Prince Clovis begged. His upper body was bent forward, locked in an apologetic bow. "I tried my best."

"Tried your best!" Madame Angelmen shouted, pouring her tenth glass of sweet red wine. She gulped the beverage down in one quick helping and stared at the cityscape outside her painted glass window. She burped and said: "You were knocked down to Rank Two! You fool! It's a miracle you were able to maintain that rank with a deck like yours. Speaking of which, one more loss like that, and you go down another. Shame on you, boy! And why did you not use the monsters I gave you? You could have beaten her with them, you know."

"I had to defeat her with my own deck, Auntie. There have been these horrible rumors going around the school. The other students have been saying that I couldn't have become Rank One without your help."

"And that bothers you?" Madame Angelmen said, turning around to face her nephew. "It shouldn't. Those are facts, not rumors."

Clovis released himself from his bow and glared at his aunt. "But...you can't! I have proven myself to..."

"You have proven nothing, boy! You are who you are because I made you that way. You are not as independent and all-powerful as you think you are."

"Watch yourself, woman!" Clovis shouted, pointing at her. "You may be my aunt but I am the Prince of Shark Rock. I am the heir to the throne. The Jawed Crown is mine. So show me some respect. My father is the most powerful man in Shark Rock. He could ruin you with one snap of his fingers."

"You are a fool if you think your father is the most powerful individual in Shark Rock. Who are the ones he calls to win him his wars? My sister is the one who bloats your pockets and gives you influence. Had your father not married her, Shark Rock would be another land ruled by a barony. Kingdom. No. You are a petty kingdom. Your father is not a king. Just a glorified baron. I had to pull many favors and bribes to finally get Master Yugi to even consider you for the title of Royal Knight of the Termnnian Table. You are a skilled warrior, Clovis. For that I commend you. Your skills and prowess in the wars against the Centaurs have made you a great hero. A great qualification for a Royal Knight. But you must also be a skilled Duelist. And let's face it, you're not. You have no place in the world of Duel Monsters."

Clovis felt his stomach freezing over. "That's not true!"

"You couldn't even get into a simple preparatory school. Again, your father had me pull favors to get you into this one. Even with my help, you became the Rank One student in this school. That takes a lot of hard work. For that, I will forever be proud of you. But Duel Monsters is an ever-evolving game, child. You have not adapted to it. Because of this, you were defeated twice by Cora Kaiba." She burped. "Excuse me, three times."

Clovis clenched his fists at the mere mention of her name. "Cora..." he growled. "That insolent peasant. I'll teach her to respect one who wears the crown!"

"Peasant? Oh no, she is no peasant," Madame Angelmen said with a laugh. "She has more power than you, boy. You have no crown. And even if you did, it means nothing. The Halfpenny Kings were worth more than you. If you truly want your lands to be seen as a real kingdom, then you must become a great Duelist. You must become the best."

"And I will, Auntie. But not with the cards you have given me."

"Do you doubt their power?" Madame Angelmen asked. "I will show you how powerful they are."

She marched to her desk and sat down. She opened a roll of parchment and scribbled a letter with her red-feather quill. She sealed the letter with purple wax and stamped it with the seal of her office.

"What are you doing?" Clovis asked.

"I am challenging Cora to a Duel. I heard rumors that Kasumi, the new Rank One Duelist, has agreed to let Cora challenge her for Rank if she makes it to the top ten. With her victory over you, she draws nearer to that. If Cora becomes Rank One, her father will give her the Blue-Eyes. The girl is skilled as it is with regular dragons. If she has those monsters in her deck, I fear she will be as unbeatable as her father. And then it will be impossible for you to regain your spot at the top."

"How is challenging Cora going to stop that from happening?"

"I have my ways, boy. Just watch. I will defeat her and then she will never stand in our way again."

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

"Augh, finally!" Cora said, turning on the stall to the shower. She felt the water with her hand. It was warm, just like she wanted it. "I really needed to freshen up after that."

"You broke a sweat?" Kasumi asked, unbuttoning her blouse. "Clovis barely put up that much of a challenge."

"Yeah, well, I didn't think Phantoms produced by Kaiba Corp were capable of producing their own odor," Cora said. She sat down and removed her boots. "Chaos Emperor Dragon smells like incense but his flames, augh! They made my clothes smell like a lawnmower."

"I imagine summoning all those dragons must also take its toll," Brandy said from inside the shower. "How goes your essay, Cora?"

"It's going good. I wrote my one-hundredth page last night." She sighed heavily as she undid her tie. "And now only five-hundred more to go."

Nixie laughed, setting down her crutches against her locker. "Seto Kaiba don't play around, huh?"

"Need help, baby?" Cora asked.

"Naw, I got it. One time while I was in the Rojas Plateau looking for the fossils of a Megazowler, there was this big-ass rock slide. A lot of people were hurt, including my friend Hassleberry. We both broke our legs. But Hass had the worst of it. Anyways, I was able to work with my busted leg. I'm pretty sure I can handle a shower."

"If you say so," Cora said, undressing and finally getting in. "But if you need help, just holler."

"Will do," said Nixie, still in the process of trying to sit down.

Kasumi pulled the drapes of her stall and walked in and then closed them again so she could have her privacy. "Daughter of Seto Kaiba. I still find it rather extraordinary. And all this time I pictured Seto Kaiba as caring for no one but himself and his little brother."

Cora sighed, pouring shampoo from a bottle shaped like a Blue-Eyes White Dragon and then rubbed it on her scalp. She laughed at the scent: **Blue-Eyes Berry Blast!**

"Well," she said, "if his Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards hadn't started glowing when I walked into the diner, he would have wanted nothing to do with me."

"The Heart of the Cards," Amy said over the water. "Do you think Yugi is right?"

Cora snorted. "Cards having hearts? Naw, I don't think so. It's just a philosophy."

"One that helped him beat your father a gazillion times," said Nixie.

"Hey, there's no such number," said Cora.

Nixie laughed. "Well, you see, they had to invent that number because that's how many times Yugi beat Kaiba."

"Don't make me bust the other leg!"

The girls laughed.

"Hey, it could be real," said Amy. "You know those million-star chip cards, The Crystal Beasts?"

Kasumi whistled. "I would pay a king's ransom in gold for those things. They are very beautiful."

"They are," Amy agreed. "Well, after Pegasus printed them, he never thought to give them to anyone. Until he saw that kid, Jesse Anderson, dueling at one of those fancy invitational tournaments. He claimed that they were glowing brightly in his briefcase when they saw Jesse on the fields below. They were calling out to him. The same thing happened to you with the Blue-Eyes. The Heart of the Cards. They chose you."

"I guess," said Cora.

"I know that tone," Kasumi said with a giggle. "She still doesn't believe. I'm sure Kaiba's notion of '_hocus-pocus mind tricks_' has gotten to her as well. Seriously, we live in a world where people are created from paintings and dragon scales. How hard is it for your father to agree that there could be some logic in Yugi's faith in the Heart of the Cards?"

"Some things are just too outrageous even for this world," said Cora.

She was done cleansing herself and wrapped a towel around her chest. When she got out, she saw Nixie was still in the process of undress. She removed her skirt. And then Cora saw it. The mark the radicals branded her with.

She gasped. "Oh, my goodness! What a horrible scar!"

Nixie looked back at her. "I appreciate you staring."

"S-sorry," Cora babbled. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Nixie said, removing the last piece of clothing. "When Prince Yuri comes back, I'll get my revenge. Nothing will please me more than to see him call on Obelisk or Slifer or Ra; hell maybe all three of them, and watch them blast the Church of Green Fire into oblivion."

"Nixie..." Brandy said, walking out of her stall, both her hair and body wrapped in towels. "I'm sorry."

"Uh...can everyone stop staring at my hex?" Nixie said, quickly wrapping a towel around herself. "Geeze, I'm already ashamed enough as it is. Yes, yes, I've been hexed by the Church of Green Fire. I can't practice magic again. But I can still kick ass at a game of Duel Monsters."

"That's the spirit," Kasumi said walking out of her stall. "It's the end of one road, but that doesn't mean there aren't more paths to take. You're still young and very intelligent, Nixie. You've got a ton of doors to look at. I know dealing with the muting of your magical abilities is going to take time, but don't despair. It's how those monsters want you to feel."

"Yeah, you're right," Nixie agreed reluctantly. "I'm going to need some help to get through this, though. Magic is what made me, me, you know? I'm an Antavi. A magician from birth. It's like a dragon without its wings."

"Everything is going to be all right," Kasumi said, patting Nixie's shoulder. "You've got your friends with you."

That brought a smile to Nixie's face. "You know besides M, I never really had real friends before."

"Why do you say that?" Cora asked.

"Well, as much as I love Duel Monsters, it's not my greatest love. I enjoy dinosaurs more than anything. If they weren't a specific monster type, I probably wouldn't have had anything to do with this game."

Kasumi dressed back into her uniform and said: "Well, of course, you love dinosaurs. It's in your blood. You are a cadet branch of House Delgado after all. Speaking of which, any word on the missing Black Tyranno?"

Nixie shook her head. "No. Not a word. It just vanished into thin air. There are those in the Senate who say it's been stolen. But that can't be. That card was locked in the vaults underneath the castle along with the crowns, family jewels, and their fortune. It's also guarded by a horrible monster and hundreds of guards riding Megalowlers and Feldian Swordbacks (**Called Sword Arm of Dragon in the game**)."

"The card couldn't have just gotten up and walked away," Amy said dressing up again.

"Some say it did. There was nothing that could have gone down miles and miles into the vault and live."

Cora finished fixing her tie and slipped her backpack on. "What makes that card so damn important?"

"It's the card that caused the forming of one of the most powerful Great Houses in the land, that's what," Kasumi said. "The Black Tyranno was once a menace brought forth by an evil wizard to end the line of kings who were the last descendants of Norman the Conqueror. It was finally defeated and had its soul locked in a stone tablet, which was later turned into a card by Maximillion Pegasus. It became somewhat of an heirloom for the House."

"Now it's gone," said Nixie. "My cousin, Rex, is being heavily investigated for it. None wanted that card more than him. Sadly, Black Tyranno belongs to the Kings of Feldia."

"Do you think it went to go find Prince Yuri?" Amy asked.

"Don't be ridiculous," said Brandy. "Come on, let's help Nixie out. We're going to be late for class."

Once they were done, they left the locker room only to find that M was standing outside.

"Damn, took you girls long enough."

Nixie slowly hobbled in front of the group. "Well, no one told you to wait for us, M. Why aren't you heading to class."

"It just ain't the same without you. Going to school doesn't feel right without my best friend by my side."

"Aren't you sweet," said Nixie. "Well, M. I think congratulations are in order. Thanks to that big victory over the Earl of Valenshire you're now Rank Ten."

Cora scratched her chin. "I thought you were Rank Ten, Nixie."

Nixie shook her head. "I was. But with this busted leg and all, I haven't been doing much Dueling lately. Because of that, I've slowly sunk down the board. Not that I care, the leaderboards are overrated and are just there for bragging rights. I prefer my fossils anyway. I can't blame the students for this sudden surge in Dueling, though. Now that you have a fifteen-hundred point bounty on you, you're the Duelist the beat. One victory against you can push someone up a rank, maybe even three."

"Which is why I don't intend to lose if I ever face you, Cora," said M. "We're cool and all, but nothing and nobody is getting in between me and my spot at the top."

"She has to get through me first," said Kasumi. "How about tomorrow, Cora? I'm a woman of my word. I said you could face me if you reached the top ten, and you have done so. You've Dueled these past few weeks with flying colors."

"You mean it?" Cora said, flushing bright red. "I...I thought I was a scrub."

"Well, you're not anymore," she said. "And I'll be honest, I really want to see your Blue-Eyes White Dragons. I think we all have."

"I must say, I'm growing impatient," said Brandy. She crossed her arms. "And anxious. The only reason Kaiba threw that one-thousand victories stipulation out the window is because the war with the church is drawing ever closer. I hope to see them before war fully breaks out here, which I hope it doesn't."

"Aw, snap!" M said, punching his palm. "Cora Kaiba and Princess Kasumi Akaveen at last! This is the match we've all been waiting for."

"That is not going to happen." Madame Angelemen came marching towards them from down the hall.

The group coughed and winced; for the air was befouled by her very strong perfume. She waved a fan in her face and grinned when she saw the girls come out.

"Well, it took you long enough," she said obnoxiously, staring at each of them as though they were mutants who crawled out of the mud in a bog. "Honestly, such foul creatures as yourselves needn't spend so much time in front of the mirror. I'm surprised it hasn't shattered yet."

"What do you need?" Cora asked.

"You will do well to refer to me as Madame! Such insolence." She examined Cora from head to toe. "Such posture. Your face just reeks with pomposity. I bet you think you're so much better than everyone here, don't you."

"Clovis sure thought so," Cora retorted. "But I put him in his place."

"Oh, indeed." Madam Angelmen closed the fan and slowly marched toward's Cora. "I have heard that Kasumi wishes to invoke the right to challenge her for her spot at the top. Well, not if I have any say about it."

"You can't do that," said Kasumi.

"I can and I will!" said Madame Angelmen. "You have single-handedly ruined my chances of bringing a better life to my sister, who is married to those fools over in Shark Rock. Clovis was my key to making that cesspool into a proper kingdom. Now that he's been defeated time and time again by you, you've all but ruined those chances for me."

"You just expect me to lose to Clovis because your plans didn't work out? Sorry, lady, but I've got my own problems to deal with. Your nephew's lack of skills isn't my fault. He just sucks."

"Indeed. Then how about a Duel between you and me?"

Cora blinked. "Huh?"

"Yes. A Duel. Win, and you get to face Kasumi for the coveted crown of Rank One. Lose...and you are to never Duel for that spot."

Cora scoffed. "You know, I could just walk away."

"I think not," said Madame Angelmen. She held up a flash drive made of platinum crafted to look like the head of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The arms of House Kaiba were inlaid on the head.

"Hey!" Cora shouted. "That's my...!"

"Yes, it is. Your thesis. The important essay you have to write in order to stay in the House. It would be a real shame if something were to...happen to it."

"That's blackmail!" shouted M. "You can't do that!"

"I can and I will. Think it matters what you say? I have everyone in this school under my pocket, Cora. It will be our word against yours. And knowing Kaiba, he won't care how you lost your thesis. What matters is, you lost it. He will throw you out regardless. It wasn't wise leaving it in the care of that senile old fool, Professor Proudfoot. His fading memory sure makes things easier for me."

"You bitch!" Cora hissed.

"Speak to me like that again and it's the paddle closet with you, Cora. I'll thrash your rear end so hard, you won't be able to sit for a week. And the essay gets lost."

"All right, I'll Duel you, but don't think you'll get away with this!"

"That's going to have to wait for another time," a stone-cold voice said from behind.

Cora felt a chill run down her frame. She heard her friends gasping in fright along with the dominant footsteps that marched down the halls.

"Seto Kaiba!" shouted Madame Angelmen.

"I overheard everything," Kaiba said. "What's the matter, Jillian? Can't stand the fact that someone other than your pathetic nephew is now dominant in this school? Now you've resorted to blackmail as this young man has clearly stated. I heard things in your House have gone array, but I never thought anything like this."

"I...I..." she babbled.

"Have your Duel against my daughter if you wish, but it's going to cost you a great deal more than you know, woman. Much more. Lose against Cora, and not only will you lose your job, but I'll make sure you never work at any academy in Termnnia ever!"

"What!" shouted Madame Angelmen. "You...you can't! There are rules we must abide to."

Kaiba smirked. "When you have all the money in the world, the rules just don't apply anymore."

Cora smiled at that. "So you screw the rules because you have money, huh? I like that."

"That's a philosophy I can live by," said M.

"However," Seto continued. "If you beat her, I promise she will never vie for the top spot again...and she is also out of my House."

"WHAT!?" Cora shouted. "You...what?"

"I will not stand for someone in my family to lose to these wannabes pretending their badge of office is a crown, Cora." He looked back at Madame Angelmen. "I must prepare her for her match, so if you'll have the headmistress excuse her from school for the rest of the day."

"So be it," said Madame Angelmen. "I will agree to your terms and see you tomorrow, you blue-eyed parasite."

Cora narrowed her eyes as she stared at the awful woman. She said goodbye to her friends, turned and followed her father down the hall. "What's going on, Seto? Why are you taking me out of school today? I have a trigonometry exam in my next class."

"You can make it up another time, I'll see to it. For now, there is something we must discuss."

He led her to the limo outside, which drove off into the city towards Kaiba Tower.

"I'm impressed," said Seto. "Not only have you managed to squeeze your way to the top in a short amount of time, but you've made enemies against the family who has been a thorn in my side for many years."

"You've had troubles with them before, huh?"

"Many times. Mostly on the count for these." He held up the Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards made for her.

"Seto..."

"I've held you back long enough, Cora. Despite all the challenges I have placed before you, you have done a phenomenal job trying to accomplish them. Your grades are exceptional, your Dueling has improved far beyond my expectations, and it looks like you've made a name for yourself in there. One worthy of the Kaiba name. I was wrong about you. Now, there's one final test for you, Cora. Complete it, and I promise there will be no more walls between you and these dragons."

"I'll do it," Cora said at once. "What must I do?"

"You want these dragons, you'll have to beat them. Get yourself ready, Cora. My Blue-Eyes are going to test your strength for themselves."

* * *

**Kaiba**

* * *

"I don't know about this, Seto," Mokuba shivered from the control station above the Dueling arena below. The walls and floor gleaming in polished bright metal with a bluish tinge. Cora was standing in the center of the arena, shivering as though she stood in a blizzard.

Kaiba didn't answer Mokuba and just stood silent, watching his, hopefully, new protégé below as she was given a prep talk by his secretary Ms. Goldwine, a rather attractive woman with a blonde bun and narrow blue eyes behind thick black glasses.

Kaiba looked down at Cora and narrowed his eyes,

_My Blue-Eyes showed affection for Cora the night I first encountered her. No matter what I've done to keep her from them, she works even hard to reach the goal. Funny, she almost reminds me of myself when I was her age. All right, then. Fate, destiny, Heart of the Cards, it doesn't matter. If she's meant for those cards, I want to see for myself. Tonight, I'll put Cora to the test as she faces off against my Blue-Eyes White Dragon. _ _Let's see if she can wield those new cards I printed._

"As you requested Mr. Kaiba," said his lead programmer, Scott Irvine, "the Shield Aura has been removed from the Duel Disk."

"You can't be serious!" cried Mokuba. "Those Blue-Eyes White Dragons you put into the Duel Robot's deck could really hurt Cora."

"I'm willing to take that risk," Kaiba said coldly. "Don't forget, Mokuba, she, too, has the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in her deck, and mine are going to push her to limit to see if she can use them."

"Will it hurt?" Cora whimpered below as Ms. Goldwine placed a ring in the shape of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon that fit the length of her finger.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Cora," Ms. Goldwine said, holding Cora's hand. "Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragons are ruthless. I really don't know what they're capable of, especially without the Shield Auras."

"What's a Shield Aura?"

"Well, as you know, Kaiba Corp's Duel Disk System uses a combination of magic and advanced technology to bring out monsters from their cards. They are not real, though, just magical illusions called Phantoms. Having said that, their powers and their aggression is very real, so the Duel Disk is given a strong ward by Citadel mages that protects the Duelists from the attacks of the monsters."

"And Kaiba turned them off?" Cora gasped.

"I believe in you, sweetheart," said Ms. Goldwine. She placed both hands on her shoulders. "You, too, have the mighty Blue-Eyes in your deck. Kaiba has been searching for years, looking for a duelist capable of using this powerful monster. And you're the one."

"Why?"

"Master Seto is not well. His time in this world grows short I'm afraid."

"What?"

"Never you mind," chuckled Ms. Goldwine. "That's a matter best left for another time. Good luck."

She left, leaving Cora all alone in the arena. A panel opened in the ceiling above. Then a machine was lowered down to the field. Ms. Goldwine hurried to the control station.

"How is she?" Mokuba asked.

"Nervous," Ms. Goldwine answered. "But she's ready. You may proceed, gentlemen."

"I'm setting skill level at MAX," said one of the programmers of the Duel Robot.

"Ready to begin at your command," said another, flipping switches and typing commands on his holographic keyboard.

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. _Time to see what she's made of_.

"Seto, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Mokuba asked again.

"Keep the medics on standby," said Scott. "Probability of injury to Ms. Cora is ninety-nine percent."

"Oh dear!" whined Ms. Goldwine.

"Come on, Scott, keep those numbers to yourself will you!" shouted Mokuba.

"I'm just doing my job, sir."

"All right, Cora!" Kaiba shouted through the intercom. "It's time to duel! Activate your Duel Disk now!"

Cora nodded and held out her hand with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon ring. It began to glow and morphed into a Duel Disk in the shape of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon wing.

**Cora-4000 LP**

**Duel Robot-4000 LP**

The Duel Robot started first.

"Draw. Card," said the cool synthetic female voice. "Set monster in defense mode. End turn."

"Okay, here we go," said Cora. "I summon Alexandrite Dragon!"

**Alexandrite Dragon**

**ATK/2000 DEF/100**

"Hey, not a bad opening move," said Mokuba. "She brought out a heavy hitter on her first turn."

"Come on, Cora," Ms. Goldwine prayed, clasping her hands together.

"Alexandrite Dragon, attack!" Cora commanded. "Take flight!"

The jeweled beast took off into the air and spun in circles above Cora before firing its attack at the face-down monster. But what it was, shocked everyone.

Kaiba's eyes widened. "Oh-no, Cyber Jar!"

"What?" cried Cora.

The Duel Robot began to explain. "Monster: Cyber Jar. Special effect one: Destroy all monsters on the field."

Alexandrite Dragon roared and shattered to pieces.

"Special effect 2," it continued. "Each player reveals the top five cards from the deck. Summon all level four monsters. Set three monsters onto the field."

The machine summoned Aqua Mador, Wall of Illusion, and Lord of Dragons.

"I place four!" shouted Cora.

She summoned an Infernal Dragon, Rare Metal Dragon, Iron Dragon Tiamaton, and Spear Dragon.

"What a digital dummy," said Mokuba. "That Duel Robot gave Cora a huge lead."

Ms. Goldwine jumped up and down with excitement. But that would soon change.

"Begin Turn," said the robot. "Sacrifice two monsters to summon, Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

"What!" Kaiba gasped in disbelief.

"Oh-no!" shouted Cora.

Ms. Goldwine gasped in horror and clasped her hands over her mouth as she watched a vortex of light spinning on the field. When it subsided, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared and gave its thunderous metallic roar then hissed while hovering down behind the Duel Robot.

"Analyzing field. Opponent has card face down on field. Turn end."

"Do something!" Kaiba ordered.

Cora drew her card nervously. "I sacrifice my Blackland Fire Dragon to summon Dragon Seeker!"

**Dragon Seeker**

**ATK/2000 DEF/2100**

"Oh, what a clever girl!" beamed Ms. Goldwine. "When the Dragon Seeker is summoned, it can destroy one dragon-type monster on the field."

"She's not as clever as you think," sneered Kaiba. "Look at one of the monsters the Duel Robot summoned."

"Analyzing," beeped the Duel Robot. "Activating Lord of Dragons effect. Protects dragon cards from all spells, traps, and monster effect. Dragon Seeker's effect negated."

"No!" Cora growled. "I was so close."

"Begin turn. Activate Flute of Summoning Dragon. Magic effect: Summons two Blue-Eyes White Dragons onto field."

"There's no way!" shouted Kaiba.

A golden flute in the likeness of a roaring dragon appeared before Lord of Dragons. He picked it up and blew into it. Cora fell to her knees when two more of the most terrifying monsters in the game joined their brethren. The gave out their loud roars, eyes burning with rage, ready to do battle.

"Processing," said the Duel Robot. "Activate spell card from hand, Polymerization. Fuse three Blue-Eyes into Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon."

"Miss Cora!" shouted Ms. Goldwine. "It can't be!"

"Turn off the machine before she gets hurt!" shouted Mokuba.

"Belay that order, Scott," said Kaiba. "I told Cora to be prepared for anything. If she wants to be a Kaiba, then she's going to have to prove it to me!"

Cora felt tears stream down her eyes when the Blue-Eyes White Dragons merged with one another and formed into the three-headed beast that was the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The monster that haunted her nightmares for weeks was now staring down at her furiously, ready to show her no mercy.

**Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon**

**ATK/4500 DEF/3800**

** **

"Processing," the Duel Robot said, again. "Begin, battle phase. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon will attack Dragon Seeker."

"I can't watch!" Ms. Goldwine covered her eyes.

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon fired its Neutron Blast. All three heads firing a different color beam at the Dragon Seeker. The blast was a thunderous explosion with a black mushroom cloud that sparked with blue lightning.

Cora screamed as the blast knocked her back five feet. She fell on her back and rolled to a stop. Her clothes got horribly torn from the blast. The sleeves of her white designer jacket were seared with embers of blue flame. Blood started oozing out of her mouth, and a trickle or two ran down from her hair. Steam bellowed off her body, still hot from the Neutron Blast which was scorching hotter than the surface of the sun. Thankfully, Kaiba left some form of ward to protect Cora, otherwise, she would be a pile of burning cinders by now.

**Cora – 1500 LP**

**Duel Robot – 4000 LP**

"Mr. Kaiba, please," begged Ms. Goldwine. "Stop the match. She can't beat that creature."

"The duel will continue," Kaiba said coldly.

"But, sir!"

"Enough!" shouted Kaiba. "One more word out of you, and you're fired!"

"Ow," groaned Cora. She spit blood out of her mouth and pushed herself up from the ground with her wobbly arms. "Incredible power you got there, three-heads. But if I'm going to be part of this family and go to the school of my dreams, I have to beat you."

"That's it, Cora," said Kaiba. "Get back up on your feet. The Kaiba Family bows to no one."

"Okay," said Cora, "if I draw the right cards, I can end this right now."

"Goddess of Victory," prayed Ms. Goldwine. "Lend her your strength."

"Come on," breathed Mokuba.

Cora placed her fingertips on the top of her deck. She closed her eyes, sighed, and pulled it off the deck. "All right, I drew Pot of Weed…er…Greed, which lets me draw two cards from my deck." _That's it, baby!_

"I reveal my Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand!"

"So what?" asked Mokuba.

"Wait and see," Kaiba said with a triumphant grin.

"And now, I special summon from my hand, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!"

"She did it!" said Kaiba.

Everyone watched in awe as Kaiba's new rendition for the Blue-Eyes White Dragon burst onto the field with a dazzling display of light and lightning. It flew majestically over the field and hovered behind Cora, lighting up the arena with its beautiful glowing blue patterns.

"And now I use its effect. Once per turn, I can select a monster you control on the field and destroy it! So say good-bye to your Lord of Dragons!"

Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon shrieked and fired a beam of spectacular blue light at Lord of Dragons, blasting him away.

"But my Alternative White Dragon will not be staying for long!" shouted Cora. "I now use the ritual spell card: Chaos Form!"

"She's doing it!" shouted Kaiba. "She's actually doing it! The dragons obey her whim without a thought. She is the one I've been searching for!"

The ritual was complete and Cora summoned the all-powerful god-like beast known as the Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon. It gave a mighty roar that shattered the glass windows of the control station. It too was glowing with bright blue neon patterns and stood ten meters above Cora.

**Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon**

**ATK/4000 DEF/0**

** **

"As impressive as that thing is," said Mokuba, "it's power is still feeble compared to the Duel Robot's Ultimate Dragon."

"And now, I play Megamorph! Which will double my dragon's attack since my Life Points are lower than yours, raising Chaos MAX Dragon's attack to eight-thousand!"

"By the goddesses!" breathed Ms. Goldwine. "Eight -thousand attack points."

"And I am no through, yet, you overgrown bucket O' bolts! Because now I use, Block Attack, forcing your Ultimate Dragon into defense mode. For my final move, my Chaos MAX Dragon will attack your Ultimate Dragon and will deal piercing damage to you. Double piercing damage."

"Meaning what?" asked Mokuba.

"Meaning that the difference between their attack and defense points will be doubled," sneered Kaiba. "It's all over for the Duel Robot."

"Analyze this you bitch!" shouted Cora. "Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, attack!"

Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon began charging its attack. The lights in the arena flickered on and off until all went dark. Only the lights on the dragon's body lit up the inky blackness as did the beam that it fired, piercing Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's chest, dealing 8400 points of damage to the Duel Robot.

"Danger! Danger! System overload! System Overload!"

The machine burst gray smoke and shut down. The lights in the arena lit back up after Scott ordered the emergency generators to come online.

Cora fell to the ground, exhausted. She observed her new beast as it gave one last roar before disappearing.

"Wow," said Mokuba. "Her Chaos MAX Dragon defeated the Ultimate Dragon without breaking a sweat."

"Ms. Cora!" Ms. Goldwine called as she ran toward her. She helped Cora back up to her feet. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Cora croaked.

"Here," Ms. Goldwine said, giving Cora a bottle of water. Cora chugged it down and coughed, choking on it. "Easy, easy," she said, patting Cora's back.

"Vacate yourself from the arena, Ms. Goldwine!" shouted Kaiba. "Cora's second duel will soon commence."

"Second duel!" whined Cora. "I barely won that one."

"Exactly," said Kaiba. "You may have been victorious, but the Duel Robot had you cornered to the wall like a rat. You can do better than that. Scott, activate the backup Duel Robot. We're going again. I was not impressed by the outcome of this match. We are going to do this all night until I'm satisfied. Of course, if you're not up to it, you can give me back my Blue-Eyes and hit the road!"

"But…"

"I will hear none of it, young lady!" snapped Kaiba. "I don't settle for mediocrity and neither should you! We're going again!"

Cora shrugged. "We're going again," she said to Ms. Goldwine.

"You shouldn't let him push you like this," she said.

"He's right," said Cora. "Duelist Academy is home to the most elite duelists in Termnnia. I couldn't call myself a Kaiba if I didn't stand above them all as the number one player in the school. Let's not forget, Prince Yuri has the God Cards in his deck. If I want to be the best and impress my…father, I'm going to have to take him down. And I can't do that with mediocre skills."

"Well, good luck to you," said Ms. Goldwine. "I'll away and draw you a bath after this is done, you look like you'll be needing it."

Cora looked at herself. Her clothes were burnt and torn and she smelled of blood, sweat, and a Neutron Blast. She nodded and reshuffled her deck, ready for another go.


	14. Ancient Gear Queen

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

At long last, she could finally remove the card from its glass case and put it in her extra deck. Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon. Now with the support she had, he could fit right in with the deck.

"Using any of your old dragons?" Ms. Goldwine asked as she cooked a stack of pancakes with Cora.

Core chugged down her glass of ice-cold milk and said: "No. I had to take many of them out. There's no place for them, unfortunately. But I'm keeping my Chaos Emperor and Saffira."

"Not that you'll need them," Mokuba said, scarfing down a bowl of cornflakes from the other side of the long kitchen table. "Your Blue-Eyes are the only power you'll need to win Duels at that school. Of course, you're not going to use them as well as Seto does. Your new Blue-Eyes cards are cool and all, but they're just copies."

"Nevertheless, Seto was the one who made them," Ms. Goldwine said briskly, serving Cora her pancakes. "And I'd be wary to just call them copies, young man. Last I checked, those so-called 'copies' did not like you and almost killed you."

Mokuba stayed quiet after that. The experience was traumatizing and not wanting to relive those events, he decided to let Ms. Goldwine have the moment.

Cora grimaced, feeling her legs sting from standing up for hours last night against the Duel Robot.

"Oh, oh, oh, hold still, dear." Ms. Goldwine hurried towards her with two packs of ice. She slapped them on Cora's legs.

Cora hissed. "Oh, man, that smarts."

"Perhaps it's best if you don't go to school today, young lady."

"Are you kidding?" Cora said, pressing the ice on her weeping flesh. "I have a Duel against Madame Angelmen today. My life here in the family is on the line."

"Madame Angelmen," Mokuba said with a disgusted shiver, his face crimping with unpleasantness. "Boy is she ugly. I can't believe I'm saying this, but please beat her Cora. That woman and her nephew have been nothing but a thorn in our sides for the past few years. I ask you to be very careful. She's a crafty one, she is. Now that the Blue-Eyes are with you, they're not with the walls of our building, making them easier to steal."

"Oh, he's right," said Ms. Goldwine. "You must take very good care of those dragons. There are many thieves out there who will do anything to get their hands on them."

"I'll be careful," Cora promised.

When she was done with her breakfast, Ms. Goldwine took her downstairs at once, although the journey outside proved to be horribly difficult. Cora felt her legs collapsing the whole elevator ride down. Her vision was fuzzy from lack of sleep as well. In fact, she nodded off more than a dozen times. Barbra resorted to giving Cora a splash of water from her plastic bottle to wake her up.

"You need to stay home, darling."

"I can't," said Cora. "It's out of the question."

"You have to rest. Seto forced you to Duel all the way until dawn. You only got an hour of sleep."

"I'll be fine."

"No, you won't. You'll be punished severely for falling asleep in class. It could lead to demotions in the ranks, detention, or the paddle closet."

"There are worse things than those," said Cora. "Hey, Roland, is that a caramel latte?"

"Uh, why, yes it is, Miss Cora."

"Do you mind?" she said, swiping the beverage from him. She removed the cap and gulped it down.

"Uh..." Roland grimaced.

Ms. Goldwine shook her head. "That man is working this poor thing to death."

"Welcome to the club," said Keemo.

Cora finished the drink and crushed the cup. "I worked hard enough to get him to ease back on those challenges, didn't I?"

Ms. Goldwine pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Perhaps. But I fear it is deteriorating your health, child. Promise me that after this Duel, you'll get some rest."

"I will," said Cora. "School will be out for the next week, on the count of it being the week that the great Song from the Divines was sung, announcing the birth of Prince Yuri. I'll be getting plenty of rest then."

"Is it the Divine Week already?" Roland wondered, stroking his mustache. "My, how time flies."

Ms. Goldwine nodded. "It will mean our daily visit to the Temple of Horakhty and thank her for the gift that was the Prince."

"I'll pay her my respects in my own way," Cora said with a yawn.

The elevator finally made it down. Cora was led to the limo and then taken to school. She said goodbye to Ms. Goldwine and hurried past the fountain. She saw Kasumi and her fiancee Jack, kissing. She felt heartbreak at once and it seemed as if time slowed down. So focused was Cora on the kiss, that she failed to see the man standing in front of her. She bumped into him and fell on her butt.

"Oh," she said. "I'm sorry. I'm clearly not awake."

The man turned and looked at her. He had spiked, multicolored hair. A gold pyramid hung over his chest. He smiled and helped her up.

"Quite all right," he said. "I feel as though you have an important Duel today."

"Oh, I do," Cora said, dusting pebbles and dirt off the back of her skirt. "A lot is on the line and I'm incredibly nervous."

"I see," said the man. He handed her a card. "Here. I just feel as though this just so happens to belong to you."

Cora took it. She blinked rapidly, for it was a card she had never seen before. **Nephele the Dragon of Hope.**

"Oh, thank you," Cora said, reading the card's effect. Suddenly, she a feeling of recognition washed over her. Her eyes widened. "Hey, wait a minute. Aren't you...?"

She looked up. The man was gone. Cora's head darted from left to right. The man was nowhere to be seen. He just vanished. Cora looked at the card in her fingers. It was there alright, and still warm from being kept in his pocket for so long. Again, she looked around, searching for the man. Nothing but students all around her.

"He's gone," Cora whispered. She put the card in the breast pocket of her blazer and headed to history class, the start of a very long, hard, day. She tried her best to stay awake in class. She nodded off more than a dozen times and fell asleep on Brandy's shoulder during math class.

"I'm flattered and all, Cora, but I've got a boyfriend," she joked, lightly pushing her on Amy's. "There. She's all yours."

"Ugh, she's drooling," she said in disgust.

After class, the two of them had to carry her out of class, creating quite a scene. The other students laughed and took pictures of her - which were instantly deleted thanks to the techs at Kaiba Corp.

"She ain't in no position to play," said M, watching Cora sleep on a marble bench by a river in the hallway. "If Cora falls asleep in the middle of the Duel, she's going to be disqualified."

"And she won't be allowed to Duel for Rank One anymore," said Kasumi. "Not that it matters now, I suppose. She already has the Blue-Eyes in her deck."

"That's not good enough for Kaiba," said Amy. She let Cora rest her head on her lap. "Now the catch is for Cora to keep that rank for the rest of the school year. If she goes down to second place, she'll lose the dragons and get kicked out."

"Only Seto Kaiba," said Kasumi. "I heard some time ago that when Anubis returned as a spirit Kaiba challenged Yugi to a duel. If the CCTV footage is to be believed, he shut Yugi tight inside his arena. There was no way out for him."

"I saw that," Kasumi said with a laugh as she snacked on some yogurt. "How much more sealed did those exits have to be. He is way over the top."

"I should know, I live with him," Cora grumbled.

M laughed and pet her forehead. "Well, well, well. Sleeping beauty is wide awake."

"Not yet, just a few more hours," Cora yawned and snuggled up on Amy's lap.

"Awkward," Amy said. "Anyways, you need to wake up now, Cora. We've got chemistry in ten minutes."

"That's plenty of time, I'll be all right." She started snoring.

Prince Clovis watched the spectacle from above and started laughing. "Well, it looks like our new star is fading."

"Get lost, Clovis!" shouted Amy. "You loser."

"Loser?" he laughed again and bit into an apple. "Cora doesn't know who she's dealing with. She's related to the Great House of Medici, with her uncle being the Master Chronos de Medici!"

"Dr. Crowler?" Kasumi asked.

"Pah! That's what those Slifer Red rejects in Duelist Academy call him out of disrespect. It wouldn't surprise me if that's where you landed, Kasumi. You're only number one because of a big mistake."

"Yeah, that mistake was you being in Rank One," said M.

"Not for long," said Clovis. "Once my aunt takes Cora out of the school, there will be no stopping me from reclaiming my place at the top."

Kasumi snorted. "Sure. Always rely on your auntie to get you out of trouble. It's a wonder how someone like you could make it into this school in the first place. Cora's not going anywhere, Clovis. I do hope you're ready to see her go packing."

"Go on, continue gloating, girls. In a matter of hours, the little Princess of House Kaiba will be no more."

A loud snore from Cora almost sealed the deal. Clovis got up from the railing and walked away, leaving them alone at last.

Chemistry class started, and like all her classes, it did not go well. As she struggled to stay asleep, she spilled a glass of salt water on her blazer and blouse. Kasumi was now getting upset and dragged her out of the lab to the girl's bathroom. She told Cora to remove her soaked clothes and shower while she waited for her. Kasumi hurried to the gymnasium to find her locker. She came back and furiously threw a pink hoody at her. She had an energy drink in her hand.

"Put that on and then drink this. What's gotten into you?"

"I'm sorry," Cora said, putting on the sweater. "Seto kept me up all night against the Duel Machine."

"Why? Didn't he know it was a school night?"

"He didn't care," Cora replied, now slipping on her skirt. "I was up all night trying to prove to him that I could use my Blue-Eyes White Dragons. I won every Duel. I got better and better, sometimes, OTKing the Duel Robot, and it still wasn't good for him. He wanted me to quit. He wanted me to fold and go to my room. He taunted me. He said there was a warm bed for me to sleep in. And when I woke, there would be coffee and donuts. But it would be his goodbye treat. I couldn't quit, Kasumi. I can't quit. I've come too far."

Kasumi sighed and handed her the drink called Morning Phoenix, a beverage promoted by the legendary Duelist, Aster Phoenix.

"You don't have to do this, Cora. Three sparkly dragons are not worth this stress you're putting yourself through."

"You don't understand!" Cora said, opening the can. She drank as much as she could. She felt a little energized from the drink. An arctic coolness flowed through her body. She felt her eyelids getting lighter and lighter. She shook her head rapidly and slapped both her cheeks. "Shit."

"It's alright."

"I feel a connection with them, Kasumi. A bond. Like I was just meant to have them. Even crazier, I feel like I've used them before."

Kasumi scratched her chin. "Um...how?"

Cora laughed and fidgeted with one of the strings of the hoodie. She looked in the mirror, outlined with lightbulbs. Her face was growing pale, like the color of her dragon's skin. Her bright blue-eyes had bags underneath. Cora turned on the sink and splashed water on her face. "I can't explain it. A lot of hocus pocus mind tricks."

She and Kasumi chuckled at her lame humor.

"Maybe I am going crazy. Maybe it is the stress."

"Well, when school lets out for the Divine Week, I plan to give you some rest. Come with me to Costa del Sol for a vacation. You really need some time to kick back and relax. I'll invite your girls, too. My treat."

Cora chuckled and splashed more water on her face. "It couldn't have come at a better time. So no one is allowed to work that whole week, huh?"

"Nope. It's a time to relax and give thanks to the Goddesses for blessing us with our little hero."

"Wonderful. I'd be more than happy to go with you out there. Of course, we're going to have to settle a little business before that, won't we?"

Kasumi replied with a smile. "Of course. Your spot in Rank One. Hopefully, you can maintain it. I'd hate to give it up just to see you lose it so soon."

"Not going to happen, babe. Watch my Duel against Madame Angelmen. You'll see what I'm capable of."

The hour of the Duel finally began. Many students decided to stay after school to watch the match between Cora and Madame Angelmen, whom the school so rightfully despised. Corruption, favoritism towards her nephew, perhaps even the murder of a girl she hated for being more 'beautiful' than her. Those things lingered on Madame Angelmen like the foul perfumes she wore. She stood at the center of the arena as three handsome, golden-haired, young men outfitted her with her Duel Coat and her Duel Disk, which was the size of a large claymore.

Cora arrived not much later, though she looked rather underdressed with the pink hoodie she wore. It clashed awfully with her academy skirt, socks and heels. But it would still be a while before her blazer would be taken out of the laundry machine. Madame Angelmen and her guests, whom she invited personally to watch the downfall of Cora Kaiba, laughed at the state of her attire.

Cora ignored her and handed her backpack to M.

"Good luck, Cora," said M. "We're all rootin' for ya."

"Careful, M," Nixie teased. "Any more speeches like that, and I could call you Lady Téa."

"You're hilarious, Nix," M said smiling at her. He patted the top of her head. "Come on, I'll get you that ice cream you wanted."

"Oh, goodie. Good luck Cora."

Nixie waved goodbye as Tyson wheeled her away to the concession stand.

Cora couldn't help but smile seeing them go. On the rafters, she saw Amy, Brandy, and Kasumi goofing off and taking selfies. Maybe she was too proud to admit it, but she felt as though she loved her little group of friends. They were rather swell to be around with and were incredibly supportive of her. Thanks to Brandy and the help of Professor Proudfoot, she was now at 250 pages in her essay.

It was time to make them proud by taking down Madame Angelmen. Cora held up her ring and transformed it into her Duel Disk.

"Ready, child?" sniggered Madame Angelmen. "I do hope you enjoyed your last day here in Rosenkruz Academy. And in Kaiba Tower most of all."

Cora drew the five cards for her hand. "Look, can you just start the Duel, please? I don't want to stand here all day listening to you and your endless monologues. Yeah, you were born with a silver spoon shoved up your ass. I had fleas and ticks on mine. But that's not who I am anymore. It took a lot of hard work. I'd say trouncing your nephew was part of that work, but it was just too easy beating him. He was no challenge and you won't be, I assure you."

Madame Angelmen's face puffed. "Your insolence has gone on long enough, girl! Come at me with everything you've got. You can begin first."

"If you say so," Cora said. She drew.

**LP 8000**

"I use Graceful Charity to draw three cards and discard two. And guess what, they're Light and Dark monsters. Now I'll banish them to summon Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End!"

Cora's ace flew out of a pillar of fire, spread his wings, and roared. The students gasped and clapped their hands. Chaos Emperor Dragon roared once again, this time flapping his wings to intimidate Madame Angelmen, who was howling in discomfort from the horrid gale he created.

"Impressive. But not good enough. Draw!" The card dealer shot the top card of her deck out like a bullet. Madame Angelmen caught the card with her fingers with ease. "Your dragon may have frightened my poor gentle nephew, Cora. But you will find no such fear in me. I use the spell, Ancient Gear Fusion! Now, I fused Ancient Gear Golem Ultimate Pound, Ancient Gear Box, and Ancient Gear Wyvern to create the all-powerful Ancient Gear Megaton Golem!"

The student cried out in shock, seeing the towering beast rise up from behind Madame Angelmen. It had four spider-like legs, and six arms on its upper torso.

**ATK/3300**

Prince Clovis and his friends, watching from the VIP box above, toasted for certain victory as the monster appeared. "Gentlemen. After this, we go back to the top. Cora will forever be out of our lives."

"Attack her dragon my beast!" Madame Angelmen commanded.

Ancient Gear Megaton Golem scurried towards Cora's dragon and pulverized him with a thousand punches that landed so fast, Cora lost track at six. Blue, inky, blood sprayed out of Chaos Emperor Dragon's mouth and oozed out of his nose. Cora watched in horror as two of Ancient Gear Megaton Golem's arms grabbed the top and bottom of Chaos Emperor Dragon's neck. The gears inside its body whirred violently, giving Megaton Golem enough strength to rip Chaos Emperor Dragon's head and neck right off the body.

Cora screamed and covered her mouth with her hands. Chaos Emperor Dragon's body flopped around like a headless chicken. Megaton Golem held the dragon's neck from the bottom. The lower jaw still moved. Megaton Golem then smacked the body with the head until it vanished, dealing 300 points of damage to Cora. But it was not the end of that. Megaton Golem could attack two more times since it was summoned with two or more Ancient Gear monsters as materials. Megaton Golem smashed the head on Cora and then punched her, knocking her two yards across the field. She landed hard on her back. She saw colorful lights flashing in her eyes.

She was dealt 6900 points of damage, bringing her Life Points down to a pitiful total of 1,100.

"I don't believe it!" Kasumi gasped. "She almost wiped out Cora's Life Points."

Prince Clovis and his friends laughed at Cora as she lay there on the ground, barely moving.

"The Ancient Gears," said M. "I've read about them before. Those monsters are some of the most powerful cards in the game. They're infamous for their brutality and sheer brute force. Not even a monster as regal as Chaos Emperor Dragon can be spared from their barbarism."

Cora stood up. Her vision was foggy. She was exhausted and had to take on this beating, too. "I d-d-draw," she said weakly. "Shit, I can't see."

She examined her hand, squinting her eyes to get a better look at the cards. She figured out a plan to rid the field of that beast.

"I use Dragon Shrine, sending a normal dragon from my deck to the Graveyard, doing so lets me add another dragon to the Graveyard. Low and behold, it's the White Stone of Legend."

Madame Angelmen almost shouted from shock. "No! It can't be!"

"This card lets me add a Blue-Eyes monster from my deck to my hand."

"Hold on! I thought you were only allowed to have those cards if you became Rank One!"

"I got them early because I'm such a good girl," Cora teased. "Take a look," she revealed the card to her. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Why would you show it to me?"

"So I can do this. I Special Summon Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!"

The students went wild. Some jumped out of their seats to get a good look at the dragon as it appeared through a cybernetic tear in their dimension. It glowed in bright neon blue patterns and seemed to slither through the air in quick undulations like a serpent.

"Say goodbye to your Golem, bitch! My dragon will automatically destroy your beast and reduce it to rubble! This is for Chaos Emperor Dragon! Go, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon! Blue Lightning!"

Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon released a streak of lightning at the monster. Ancient Gear Megaton Golem screeched and spasmed where it stood. Its iron armor started blackening and steam billowed from its joints.

Something growled behind Cora. She turned and saw the ghost of Chaos Emperor Dragon slithering around her like a snake. "Hey. What gives? What are you doing here?"

Megaton Golem exploded.

"I'll handle this, I promise," Cora said to the creature's ghost. "I summon The White Stone of Ancients!" A white egg appeared on the field. Golden runes shimmered on its surface. "Next, I'll tune my egg with Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon to Synchro Summon, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon!"

An angelic white dragon flew down from the heavens and soared around the field. A long tuft of golden hair flowed from the end of its tail. The dragon screeched and cruised to Cora's side of the field in defense mode.

"Beautiful," Cora thought, watching the dragon that saved her life long ago. "I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for you," she whispered, staring into the dragon's ghostly, blue-eyes. Tears formed in hers. She sobbed happily and dried them with her wrists. She smiled and activated her next card, Return of the Dragon Lords to bring back her Alternative White Dragon.

Madame Angelmen was wide open but she was grinning. Was it perhaps that she was in awe of Cora's dragons?

"Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon, attack her directly!" Cora commanded.

"I think not," said Madame Angelmen. "Rise my great beast!"

Cora's eyes widened. "Huh? Great beast?"

"You thought it was going to be that easy, didn't you? Your Blue-Eyes are impressive, but they are mere lizards compared to my faithful monster. Because Ancient Gear Megaton Golem was destroyed with your card effect, I can summon this monster from the Extra Deck ignoring its summoning conditions. Come forth, Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem!"

"Oh no!" Cora shouted.

The creature rose out of the ground like a mechanical beast from hell. It was designed to look like a centaur, with three steel cables crafted to be its tail. Its right arm was a clawed, heavy weapon.

**Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem**

**ATK/4400 DEF/3400**

**LV 10**

"I end my turn," said Cora. "And with White Stone of Ancients' effect, I can special summon a Blue-Eyes White Dragon in defense."

Her monster appeared, but it wasn't the gallant display of power she hoped for. Because of the horrid monster looking down at her, she was forced to reduce her dragons to defense. They looked like they were bowing, making Madame Angelmen feel so proud.

"What a shame," she said, finding it hard to control her laughter. "Good help is so hard to find these days. I do hope you don't think your dragon is capable of standing up against my beast! Not even your defense position dragon, Cora! For you see, my Golem will inflict piercing damage to you. I've won! Say goodbye to your Blue-Eyes and your home in Kaiba Towers. Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem, destroy her Dragon Spirit of White and end this Duel!"

"No!" shouted Cora. "From my hand, I activate the effect of **Nephele the Dragon of Hope**!"

"What's this!"

A white dragon armored in shimmering platinum steel was rendered on the field. She was a beautiful creature with six white, iridescent, feathery wings and a mane of long, flowing golden-brown hair protruding from underneath her helmet, crowned with diamonds and white horns. An arcane circle hovered behind her, acting as both an aegis and an awesome weapon of power.

Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem's attack hit, smacking Dragon Spirit of White. Nephele's wings shielded Cora from the blast, and reducing the damage she would have received to 0. The dragon then fired a heavenly white beam at Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem, blasting him to pieces. Not only that, Cora's Life Points increased to 5500.

"What trickery is this?" shouted Madame Angelmen.

"Because you attacked a Dragon-Type monster, Nephele protected me from the damage inflicted by your attack," said Cora. "And, she destroys your monster in the process. She also increased my Life Points by your Golem's attack points."

"You impudent little cur!" shouted Madame Angelmen. "Your little chicken may have spared you from defeat this turn, but I will destroy you! Mark my words."

"Enough talk. I draw! I use Trade-In to send my Blue-Eyes Eyes White Dragon to the Graveyard and draw two cards. Next, I use Upstart Goblin. It will increase your Life Points by one thousand, but I draw a card. Pot of Greed. I draw two cards. I use Cards of Consenense to send Protector with Eyes of Blue to the grave and draw two more cards. Phew."

"Draw whatever you like, child. It will do you no good; for when Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem is destroyed, I am allowed to summon a normal one from the Graveyard."

A normal Ancient Gear Golem rose out of the ground. It shook the debris and dirt of its body and let out a loud moan like a horn.

**Ancient Gear Golem**

**ATK/3000 DEF/3000**

**LV 8**

"Are you sure about that?" Cora asked. "I activate the Ritual Spell, Chaos Form. Now, I offer Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon to ritual summon my great beast. Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon!"

The gates to the chaos dimension formed behind Cora. The opened slowly, allowing the monster who aided her the night before to fly through and punish the world for its sins with one of its most fearsome beasts.

It landed behind Cora and released a dazzling display of multi-directional blue light from its orbs.

**Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon**

**ATK/4000 DEF/0**

**LV 8**

"What sort of monstrosity is that?" Prince Clovis said in awe.

"Oh!" Madame Angelmen said in wonder.

Soon, Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon turned that wonder into fear when it flew towards her Golem and blasted it to pieces. This time, her golems would stay gone. She lost 1000 Life Points.

"You..." Madame Angelmen said in anger. "I've had enough of you. Do you think you've ended the chaos of my Golems? No. You don't know chaos until you've met my ultimate monster. I draw. I use Terraforming! With this, I add Geartown to my hand. And I shall use it. Now, I shall use Pot of Greed and draw two cards. Ah, yes. This will do ever so nicely. I use Ancient Gear Catapult. With this card, I destroy Geartown and special summon Ancient Gear Golem to my side of the field."

Cora was getting nervous. Even though her Chaos MAX Dragon was stronger, she had a feeling Madame Angelmen had something up her sleeve. Using an effect from Geartown, Madame Angelmen summoned Ancient Gear Wyvern, which allowed her to add Ancient Gear Fusion to her hand.

"Oh no," Cora whimpered.

"Scared? You should be, Cora. There is no escaping the wrath of my beast. I use Ancient Gear Fusion. I combine Ancient Gear Golem, Ancient Gear Wyvern, Ancient Gear Frame, and Ancient Gear Box to special summon my own beast of Chaos! Rise and together let us paint this field red with the blood of our foes. Chaos Ancient Gear Giant!"

A portal to darkness opened behind Madame Angelmen. A horrid gale flew about the stadium, causing the banners to wave frantically from above.

Ms. Goldwine came running into the stadium and stopped as she watched the most powerful Ancient Gear come out. From the portal, a demonic machine slowly emerged. It was as tall as an office building in downtown Domino. Its armored body was dark blue with the shoulders crafted to resemble lions. Its skinny metal limbs were colored jet black and the gears on its body were solid gold. A glaring, red, eye as bright as a lighthouse beacon. It let out the most bone-chilling call Cora had ever heard. Like a thousand horns roaring at once.

**Chaos Ancient Gear Giant**

**ATK/4500 DEF/3000**

**LV 10**

** **

Prince Clovis balled both his fists. "Yes! Now there is no hope for you, Cora. This monster will reap his vengeance on you!"

Ms. Goldwine covered her mouth with her hands. "Cora! No!"

Madame Angelmen laughed as her beast stood behind her. "This is the end, Cora. My Chaos Giant will tear your hopes and dreams apart piece by painful piece. First, he will rid the field of your Chaos Max Dragon!"

Chaos Ancient Gear Giant opened one its hand cannons and fired a tremendous blast of plasma energy, annihilating Cora's most powerful - and beloved - creature.

"NO!" Cora shouted. Her Life Points dropping to 5000.

"Don't think this is over, Cora. Chaos Ancient Gear Giant can attack every monster you have. Say goodbye to your Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon!"

Chaos Ancient Gear Giant grabbed her dragon by the neck and smashed it on the ground. It opened its second cannon and shattered the dragon's head off with one attack. The dragon's body went limp and fell dead. Suddenly, Chaos Ancient Gear Giant aimed at Cora.

"What's going on!?" she shouted. "I have no monsters left."

"Just like all my most powerful Golems, you take damage even if your monster is in defense, Cora."

"NO!" Cora shouted.

Chaos Ancient Gear Giant lowered the cannon directly in front of Cora and released its attack, pummeling her. Cora was sent flying head over heels across the field and landed on her back. She rolled and came to a stop. The right sleeve of her sweater was torn off and her skirt started to rip.

Her Life Points were at 4000. It was still a healthy amount of points, but Cora looked like she couldn't take another hit. Something was horribly wrong here. Nobody should have taken that amount of damage with Shield Auras active.

"CORA!" Ms. Goldwine shouted.

Cora's leg started to move. She forced herself back up. The ghost of the Chaos Emperor Dragon circumnavigated around her calling out her name.

"I hear you, I hear you," Cora whispered. "I forgot to replenish the Mana Crystals in my Duel Disk. Stupid me, huh?"

The ghost snarled.

"I know I could have been killed. Wait...hold on! You're growling...but I can understand you!"

Chaos Emperor Dragon growled again.

"I think Chaos Ancient Gear Giant hit me harder than I thought. How the fuck am I able to understand your grunts and snarls as though they were plain Emboldorian?"

Chaos Emperor's ghost howled.

"Yeah, I guess that's not important. But how can I win? Just look at that thing. All my Blue-Eyes have been wiped out, so it's not like I can fuse them to become the Ultimate Dragon. Not even Chaos MAX Dragon could stand a chance against that thing."

Chaos Emperor Dragon flew into her deck. The top card glimmered.

"What is going on here?" Cora said. She drew. "Wow! I think I can win this thing after all." She stood up. "All right. I can tell this isn't an ordinary Duel. That guy who gave me Nephele. I don't know who he was but it seems he gave me a second wind with that card. And I'm going to make the most of this. Chaos Emperor, it's time to unleash your full power. But first, I need to summon this guy. Primal Dragon the Primordial Dragon!"

Cora placed the card on her Duel Disk, and then a ghostly dragon covered in golden armor formed on the field.

Madame Angelmen giggled. "How cute. You think you can defeat me with a monster that weak? At two-thousand attack points, he's no match against my Chaos Giant."

"Do you ever shut up?" Cora shouted.

"How dare you!"

"Primal Dragon is not only going to help me destroy your overgrown bucket of bolts, but he's going to help me defeat you, too. First, I activate his effect. I Banish my Blue-Eyes White Dragon from the Graveyard. Now, Primal Dragon's attack and defense will increase by Blue-Eyes White Dragon's attack, raising him to five-thousand."

"I'm impressed," said Madame Angelmen. "But according to my terminal here, your dragon can't inflict damage to me." She turned the holographic terminal off and shrugged. "Your little dragon may destroy my Giant, but it will do you no good. I have more powerful monsters to destroy you with."

"You're not going to get the chance after my turn," said Cora. "Watch. Primal Dragon's attack and defense are five-thousand. Add them up and that's a grand total of ten-thousand."

"So you can add. Am I supposed to give you a sticker for your effort?"

"No. Primal Dragon's attack and defense points are where I need them to be to make one final summon."

"Wait? You set up your dragon's attack and defense to be that way for a summoning condition!?"

"That's right. Now, I tribute Primal Dragon the Primordial Dragon to summon the all-powerful Ten Thousand Dragon!"

Primal Dragon roared and then the ghost of Chaos Emperor Dragon flew down and merged himself with him. The dragon began to grow higher and higher. His serpentine body stretched for miles and miles. A long mane of silvery bright hair flowed out from behind the dragon's helmet. His ethereal body was covered in armor of platinum and gold. It gave a mighty roar and held out both its arms. Then, it looked down at Chaos Ancient Gear Giant, who started to feel rather puny.

**Ten Thousand Dragon**

**ATK/10,000 DEF/10,000**

**LV 10**

** **

"Oh heavens! No!" shouted Madame Angelmen.

"Attack her now, Ten Thousand Dragon!" Cora commanded.

The dragon unleashed a storm of fire that rained down on Chaos Ancient Gear Giant. The creature started melting and then exploded. The blast dealt 5500 points of damage to her. Cora still had something up her sleeve.

"And because he was tributed for the summoning of my Ten Thousand Dragon, Primal Dragon allows Ten Thousand Dragon to make one final strike against you."

"NO!"

"Say goodbye to Rosenkruz Academy bitch!"

Ten Thousand Dragon blasted her with a golden ray of light. When it hit, it created a colossal mushroom cloud. The stadium shook violently. The students cried out in horror, shielding themselves from the blast. Finally, all was still.

There would be no applause for Cora. As soon as the Duel ended, her fatigue overtook her. Her legs gave way and she collapsed on the ground. She rolled to her back, slowly. The last thing she saw was Ms. Goldwine and Ten Thousand Dragon looking down at her. Ten Thousand Dragon roared and then Cora fell into a pit of darkness.

* * *

She finally opened her eyes. Her head hurt and her body felt like it was made of rocks. All was a blur, but as she regained consciousness, the world grew clearer and clearer until she saw Ms. Goldwine's face. She was rubbing Cora's forehead with a red cloth, soaked in cold water. She looked rather different. Her hair, usually tied in an overflowing bun, was now down and flowing down the right part of her face and down to her chest. And she had her glasses off as well. Normally dressed in a crisp white blouse and black office skirt, Barbra was clad in a white, shoulderless sweater and jeans.

"How long was I out?" Cora asked.

"Almost two days."

Cora sighed and looked out the window of her bedroom. "Shit. I missed my Duel against Kasumi."

Barbra giggled. She closed the drapes slightly to block the light of Helios from irritating Cora's eyes. "Still thinking about Duel Monsters like your father. You must rest now. Princess Kasumi has agreed to Duel you when school starts again. You're on a break right now. Good thing, too. You are in no condition to Duel."

"But I have to! What will Seto say?"

Barbra dipped the cloth back in the bowl to soak it, then pressed it against Cora's neck and chest. "He's the one who ordered you to get rest. He signed a few papers to excuse you from school. And Headmistress Rosamunde even pardoned you of your schoolwork for getting rid of Madame Angelmen. Your father and I aren't the only ones who hated her."

Cora laughed. "That means Prince Clovis won't be getting any help from her."

"Indeed. And I heard that Yugi Muto told him he would never be allowed into the Knights of the Royal Table for his involvement in Madame Angelmen's corruption."

"Corruption? What did she do?"

"A great deal many horrible things. One of them was using the student's tuition money for her own selfish gains. She stole over a million in gold. But House de Medici always looks after their own. They paid back what she owed. And knowing that woman, she'll be back."

"I'll be ready for her," said Cora. "Ooo, uh, excuse me." She threw her sheets off her legs.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I've got to pee!" Cora said, running for the bathroom.

Barbra in the meantime prepared her a meal of small sandwiches of grilled cheese and a glass of milk. By the time she came back to the room, Cora was already slipping back into bed.

"Hey, Barbra," Cora said as Ms. Goldwine placed the tray on the night table beside her bed.

"Yes?"

"I like it when your hair is down. You look pretty sexy."

Ms. Goldwine burst out laughing. "Child, you flatter me."

"No, I'm serious. I bet all the guys in town have your attention, eh?"

Ms. Goldwine shook her head. "No. I've stopped dating a long time ago. I've been too busy. Being Seto Kaiba's secretary doesn't really allow for going out very much." She applied lotion to her hands.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Cora asked timidly.

"I'm going to massage your legs, dear."

"No, no, please. I'm not wearing any pants."

"Cora. We're both women, aren't we? And you undress and shower with the girls at school, don't you?"

"Hmm, good point," Cora said. She let Ms. Goldwine pull the sheets off. "Wow," Cora said in bliss, feeling Ms. Goldwine rub her legs. Her fingers moved around her muscles, making them feel less stiff and more like jelly. "Oh man, that feels good."

Ms. Goldwine snickered and patted her legs. "I'm glad. Going back to what you said earlier. I can't help but think of what will happen to you. This is just the start, you know. I'm sure Seto has more in store for you. He's been going on his search for a worthy Duelist for his Blue-Eyes for a long time, but deep down, I could tell he didn't want to find one. His pride is still strong as is his ego. I know he's going to place more obstacles in your way."

"Oh, great," Cora groaned, slapping her palm on her forehead.

"You know, child, you don't have to do this."

"What do you mean?"

"He wants you to fail. Every challenge will be harder and harder from here on out. I don't want that for you. Come with me. I can take care of you."

"Barbra..."

"Let me finish."

"No, I know what you're trying to do. I appreciate it. You've become one of my best friends in the whole world. If anything goes wrong, I know I can count on you. But I don't want to leave. I love the challenges. I love the thrill. I love the action at school."

Barbra smiled and rocked her head back and forth. "You're such a strong girl," she whispered. "I knew it would not be easy to convince you to get out of this life. You're just as stubborn as your father. Well, Cora. No matter what you chose. I'll be there for you."


	15. A Song of Dumb and Dumber

**Rex and Weevil**

* * *

Two disgraced Duelists were sitting by the harbor outside of Roseknkruz Academy. They came here to speak with the headmistress about entering to earn their credits for Duelist Academy but after seeing their track record stained with multiple accounts of fraud and bribery, they were ultimately...

"Rejected!" Weevil shouted. "Us! Two former tag team champions!"

"Let's face it, we're done," Rex replied after a loud yawn, stirring a heavy breakfast of bacon, bacon and more bacon with six sausage patties mixed with sweet spices. "There's no way for us to get to Duelist Academy now."

Weevil cringed with anger. "Arrgh, but those princes got golden tickets right into the school. I hate it how those royal chumps are so heavily pampered. There was a time when we were the top dogs at the academy. Everyone always pulled favors for us because we were the best. Then that Zane showed up! And that pompous princess, Alexis! Now we must contend with Yugi Muto with his Dark Magician and Yuri Wallcroft and his Black Tyranno and those God Cards! Our Houses were some of the most feared in the land taking down the Valentines in the War of the Blue Mountains. We are the sons of two of the greatest warriors in the West. Now Yuri's made a laughing stock of us both! And he isn't even here yet"

"And word on the street is, there's some girl duelist in this place who holds the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Rex crunched on a strip of bacon and looked out the window at the dawn. The sun was casting a sweet pink glow in the sky and the waters below were a wonderful baby blue. He could see other students in the smaller building beneath him from the restaurant they ate in. He eyed them jealously as they laughed and joked while walking the halls. They were in a large group of friends while he was alone with Weevil.

"That can't be!" said Weevil. "Unless Seto Kaiba is some sort of crossdresser that's impossible!"

"The odds of that are unlikely," chuckled Rex, trying hard not to imagine Seto Kaiba in a dress. He shoved an entire patty into his mouth. "I don't know about you, but from what I heard, she's really hot!"

"Is that so?" sneered Weevil. He arrogantly held up his deck. "Perhaps I should visit her and see what she's got."

"Those cards are fake if you ask me," said Rex. "It would be an even greater dishonor of you lost to fake cards."

"If they're so fake, why does Seto Kaiba say nothing?"

"Good question, so why don't we do some asking around and see for ourselves."

"But we don't even know what she looks like."

They heard some laughing from another booth across the way on the other side of a sprawling garden with glowing neon plants. They were a group of students from the Kaiser Glider dorm, though it was hard to tell because it was Saturday, and classes were off. Luckily one of them wore a black t-shirt with the escutcheon of his dorm emblazoned in bronze.

"No way!" said one of the students, an Eldori with spiked blue hair. "You're telling me Seto Kaiba's daughter saved your scrawny ass!"

"Yeah, she did!" said the storyteller, another Eldori with clean-cut red hair with blond highlights. "This hotshot Treasure Hunter arrives thinking he can scoop some rare cards from us, students. He came to me and challenged me to a duel under the Battle City rules, in which the losing duelist forks over his rarest card."

"Don't tell me, you lost?" cackled a tan-skinned Eldori with black hair swaying over his eyes in mop-like bangs. His friends laughed leaving the storyteller blowing fumes.

"All right, all right, I lost. Happy!"

"No, we're just not surprised!"

"Whatever. Anyway, the Treasure Hunter starts to get physical with me when he's not impressed with my Armageddon Knight. So, he starts asking for more. When I refused him my cards he threatened to beat me up. That's when Kaiba shows up. He's with his little brother, Mokuba, some blonde-haired pretty secretary and her!"

He gave told them the story of their duel in great detail. He told them of the new model Duel Disk Cora was using and the horrifying beast she summoned to scare the Treasure Hunter into submission and how Kaiba gave the tourist an unfair advantage with a plethora of extremely rare cards from the collection in his metal briefcase.

"So, this Cora Kaiba," asked one of the storyteller's friends. "Was she a looker?"

"Yeah, she was," said the storyteller. "A gift from Ana if I ever saw one."

"Hey!" Rex said, approaching the table with Weevil. "You guys wouldn't happen to know where she is, do you?"

They all laughed at the duo.

"Well, well, well, it isn't Rex Raptor and Weevil Underpants!"

"WHAT!" squealed Weevil.

"What's it matter to you where Cora is?" asked one of the friends.

"Looks like they want to duel her," sneered the storyteller. "Haven't you two been humiliated enough already!"

"We're both going to challenge her!" said Rex. "Now tell us where she is!"

"Or what?"

"Or his father will come after your father!" Weevil said.

Rex nodded. "My father is the head of the Cadet Branch of House Delgado. And right now, they are on a mean streak! It would be unwise to piss them off. You guys don't want trouble just for a bit of information, do you?"

"Uh, he's got a point bro. House Delgado is not one to be messing with."

"We don't want any trouble," said the storyteller. "All we know is that she likes to hang out in the cove under the school. If you hurry you just might catch her!"

"Thanks," Rex said. He tossed them a Star Chip for their trouble. He and Weevil hurried down to the ground floor of the castle.

"The cove is down this way," said Rex. He attached earbuds to his PDA and put on Walkin' on the Sun by Smash Mouth as he and Weevil began to search around for Cora. They went east and west and through a forest of palm trees until they spotted Mokuba Kaiba talking to a girl who matched the description of the storyteller. She was sitting on a wooden bench, examining her cards while the little Kaiba was standing on the black pavement with his knuckles on his hips. He looked angry. Rex couldn't hear a word he was saying because the music was blasting in his ears. He asked Weevil if it was her, and he nodded yes with a greedy grin.

He then ordered Weevil to get a look at her cards after Mokuba walked away and left her alone. Rex hid behind a limestone statue of a Celtic Guardian while Weevil excellently sneaked towards Cora from behind the bench where she was reclined. He peeked over her shoulder and scanned her deck as she flipped through her cards with her thumbs.

He spotted the Chaos MAX Dragon on the front of her deck but not even so much as the vanilla corner of their cards could be seen. Then he saw the letters B-L-U glimmering on the next card to look at. But his beady little eyes drifted to Cora's cleavage from her tight black tank top. He ogled at them as though hypnotized by some spell and stretched his neck upwards to get a better look. His morning breath gave him away.

Cora turned her head to see Weevil inappropriately gawking at her. Weevil made a nervous grin as Cora's fiery blue eyes glared at him. She snarled and punched him hard on the face. She gathered her things and walked away. Rex groaned and face-palmed himself. He had to admit, the music in his ears made the scene a little funny.

Weevil swayed left to right with dizziness while trying to walk to Rex.

"Were they fake?" he asked.

"No…" croaked Weevil. "They were very real."

Rex narrowed his eyes, for it wasn't the Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards he was talking about. And then Weevil fell hard to ground succumbing to the darkness. He lay on the green grass, knocked out.

"Serves you right," groaned Rex. He was defeated for now, but Cora was still in his sights. He wanted to know the truth behind the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in her deck. One way or another.

* * *

Cora proceeded to the cove later the next afternoon and the loveable duo of Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood were not too far behind her.

"This is gonna be a cinch!" said Rex.

"Easy for you to say," said Weevil. "You didn't get smashed in the face!"

"Hush!" said Rex.

Cora heard them and paused. She looked around to see who was doing all the yelling behind her. She was shaded underneath the shade of the forest of palm trees blocking the harsh sun. She knew the children of the elementary had a field trip to the mountains to promise Blizzard Dragon they would get better so he could bring back the frost. The weather would not stay like this for long so she had to make the most of it.

She continued looking around for the voices and shrugged when she saw nothing then made her way down to the sands of her cove for her swim.

"She's on to us," said Weevil.

"Keep opening your trap and we'll never see those cards!" snapped Rex. "Come on, Weevil. All we've got to do is get one snap of those cards and we'll get this hotshot expelled for using fake cards." He took out his camera and jumped out of the ferns to trail after Cora. Weevil followed, scurrying like the beetle that he was.

"NYAH!" they both shouted when they spotted Cora slipping off her jeans to a dark red string bikini bottom. She kept her black midriff tank top then gave a few stretches before jogging into the water. She dove into the waves and went out of sight.

"What if those cards are real?" asked Weevil.

"Then we'll get Kaiba to make some for us." Rex gave a malicious grin.

"How do we do that, pray tell?"

"He's gonna, lest he wants some provocative pictures of his daughter up on Duel Network." He jeered pointing at his camera.

"Oh, I see," Weevil sneered. "Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee!"

It was a stupid plan, but then again, they were pretty stupid young men.

"Come on," said Rex. "Her deck must be in her jeans. You check her backpack."

They nabbed her belongings and scampered towards the formation of rocks. Weevil turned Cora's jeans inside out. "Rats, there's nothing here." He threw them into the sand furiously.

"This is so awkward," Rex cringed searching through her backpack. It gave off a sweet smell from inside as he pushed through Cora's personal belongings, mostly feminine items. "Ah, found them!" he cried out as though he was a pirate finding lost treasure. The cards were in a white-gold deck case with the Kaiba Corp logo shimmering in gold letters on the front.

"Aw, fuck!" said Rex. "You need a key to open this thing!"

"Oh dear," said Weevil. "That must be that gold item I saw around her neck. Now we're never going to open it."

"Is there a problem if you don't?" an angry voice asked them.

Rex and Weevil both gulped and turned around. Cora Kaiba stood over them with her hands to her hips like a goddess.

"You little thieves!" she snarled. "I could report you both to my father!"

"Oh yeah!" Rex said snapping photos of her.

"What are you doing?" Cora asked.

"Now we've got collateral."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, wouldn't we?" said Weevil. "Show us your Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards and we just might forget this happened. Prove to us that they're not fake!"

"So, you two are the little rats spreading rumors about me!" said Cora. "I hear whispers down the halls that my dragons are not real. Some have even said I let Seto Kaiba fuck me for those dragons."

"Whoa, hang on!" said Rex. "We never said anything like that!"

"I don't care," said Cora. "It doesn't bother me. Now, give me back my stuff."

"Not until you admit they're fake!" said Rex, he pointed to his camera.

"You want to see if they're real, eh? Very well. How about in a Duel? I'm sure the former champions Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood can hold their own against a girl with fake cards."

"Ah, she's right!" said Weevil. "I'll take you on, my dear."

"I'm taking you both on!" said Cora. "What say you?"

"Hah! Challenging us both is a huge mistake!" said Rex. His earring turned into his onyx Duel Disk.

"This should be fun!" said Weevil.

"Let's make this interesting," said Cora. "I win, you give me that camera, so I can delete those photos you took of me."

"And if we win?" asked Rex. "You have to put something on the line, too. This camera is expensive, bitch."

"I'll let you take more photos if you win," Cora teased them. "Without my bikini, if you want."

Rex and Weevil's faces made awkward expressions.

"Fools," whispered Cora. "They don't know what they've gotten themselves into."

"I'll go first," said Rex. "Then it goes to Weevil, then you!"

"As you wish," said Cora.

"Nyeh!" scoffed Rex. He drew his first card. Their Life Point counter displayed 4000 over their heads.

"All right," said Rex. "Get ready to get stomped, Cora. I special summon Gilasaurus to the field. But he won't stay for long, because I'm using the spell card Big Evolution Pill. At the cost of sacrificing one dinosaur on the field, the spell will let me normal summon high-level dinosaur type monsters without tribute. So, goodbye Gilasaurus and hello Dark Tyranno!"

** **

**Dark Tyranno**

**ATK/2600 DEF/2100**

"Now, I place a card face down on the field and end my turn. Your move, Weevil."

"With pleasure!" said Weevil. "Hee, hee, hee. I summon Pinch Hopper in attack mode. But he won't stay for long either, for I use the spell card Eradicating Aerosol! This spell card destroys one insect-type monster on the field and when Pinch Hopper is removed from the field he allows me to special summon an insect monster from my hand. Behold, my rarest and most powerful card, Cora. Insect Queen!"

A can of green spray appeared from behind Weevil's Pinch Hopper. An ownerless hand then sprayed the noxious vapor at the insect who hissed in agony before shattering into pieces. Then came a giant red spider with a long neck and a woman's face. It had the body and wings of a beetle. She let out a horrid screech when she gazed down at Cora.

** **

**Insect Queen**

**ATK/2200 DEF/2400**

"I will also play a card face-down and that end my turn! GO!" he shouted at Cora.

"I will," said Cora. She smiled seductively. "You boys wanted to see my Blue-Eyes. Well, here it is!" She showed them her Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Why are you revealing that to us?" asked Rex.

"So that I can special summon this," Cora slapped her card onto her Duel Disk. "Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!"

"YAH!" Weevil and Rex fell to the sand when Cora summoned the cybernetic beast. It flew in circles above her hissing and screeching.

**Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon**

**ATK/3000 DEF/2500**

"And to continue my turn. I shall summon Lord of Dragons to the field!"

She summoned her mage dressed in dragonic armor and a dark blue cape. His piercing yellow eyes seemed to puncture Weevil and Rex's souls.

"And then I will play the spell Flute of Summoning Dragon. When played with Lord of Dragons I can summon two dragons from my hand."

Lord of Dragons picked up the flute and blew into it letting out a deep and menacing call. Two of Cora's Blue-Eyes White Dragons flew from the sky through the clouds and down a path of light. They hovered over Cora and roared at Rex and Weevil who screamed and hugged themselves.

Weevil went for his trap card. "I use the trap…"

"Don't even bother," Cora interrupted. "So long as my Lord of Dragons is out on the field your spells, traps, and monster effects can't harm my babies."

"Babies!" muttered Weevil.

"She is one crazy-ass-bitch!" screamed Rex.

"And don't think I'm done yet," Cora chuckled. "Because I'm going to play Polymerization to fuse my three Blue-Eyes together!"

"REX!" cried Weevil. "She's going to summon the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

"She-she can't!" babbled Rex. "In order for her to do that, she needs three Blue-Eyes and she only has two. The Alternative Dragon doesn't count."

"Does it not?" Cora laughed sadistically. She pulled back her bikini with a snap, for it was riding up her butt. "When on the field, my Alternative White Dragon counts as a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. But before I fuse them together, I will activate my Alternative White Dragon's effect. Once per turn, I can target one of your monsters and destroy it! And I choose that gross Insect Queen."

Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon flew to the sky spinning dramatically. It fired a powerful laser beam at the Insect Queen and disintegrated her. Insect Queen howled before vanishing from the field.

"NO!" cried Weevil. "MY QUEEN!"

"No, I will use Polymerization. And yes, you are correct that my next monster is an Ultimate Dragon, but it is far powerful than the one my father uses. When he comes out to the field you're going to wish it was my father's dragon."

"What is she talking about!" Weevil babbled still embracing Rex.

"I fuse my dragon's together so that they become Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

Rex and Weevil knew it was all over at this point. Lord of Dragons was creating quite the anti-magic shield for the beast that was forming before them. All the two boys could do was pray that Cora ended them quickly. It towered over twenty meters and was glowing with bright blue circuit board patterns all over its body. It had a double-bladed ax at the end of its tail and its body seemed almost crystal-like.

** **

**Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon**

**ATK/4500 DEF/3800**

"We surrender! We surrender!" Rex and Weevil shouted.

"You're not getting off that easy!" said Cora. "You try blackmailing me and my father and think I'll just let you walk away? You sit there and take your punishment like that bad boys you are! Neo Ultimate Dragon, attack Rex's Dark Tyranno!"

Rex and Weevil braced for impact while they watched all three heads of the Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon charge up its attack. They released and vaporized the dinosaur with a thunderous explosion in the shape of a mushroom cloud. Rex lost a great deal of Life Points, but the Duel was far from over. Cora loved the torment she was bestowing upon Rex and Weevil.

Look at them cowering before me. The thrill of the Duel just sweetens when I see my foes in such a state. The dragons, I can feel their power surging through my breast. I can hear them clawing away at my mind demanding more. They want to fight more. They want to destroy. The hunger for more destruction. I shall feed their hunger with more opponents. So, this is what my father feels when he Duels. Incredible. Watch out, Prince Yuri. Because you're going to be next! Not even your Divine Beasts will save you from my dragons!

She activated her dragon's effect. Twice per turn, she could send a 'Blue-Eyes' Fusion Monster from her extra deck to the Graveyard to let it attack again. She discarded her Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon and made her monster directly attack Weevil.

Weevil wailed as the attack sent him flying to the other side of the beach. Now it was Rex's turn, for she discarded her regular Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon allowing her Neo Ultimate Dragon to blast Rex away too. Rex screamed while he went tumbling away towards Weevil. Their Life Point meters dropped down to 0.

Her PDA jingled. Cora looked at the screen and saw the message from Ms. Goldwine, telling her it was time to go home.

"That's all folks," said Cora. She walked to Rex and ripped the camera from his neck. She turned around and tossed sand back at them with her feet. She grabbed her things, hopped into her jeans, and walked back to the academy leaving Rex and Weevil motionless in the sand. Any thoughts they had about Cora's dragons being fake were blasted away by the Neo Ultimate Dragon.

They were believers now and thought it best to leave her be for the sake of their health.


	16. Paradise

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

Domino was now many miles behind her. For this, Cora was glad. She rode in the back of Kasumi's topless sports car, black with platinum trim. It roared as it zoomed down the black asphalt roads. There wasn't another car for miles. It felt like they were all alone and the road was all theirs. Brandy and Amy sang along to music from the radio, disrupting the tranquility of the early morning. Cora was so lost in the countryside that she did not mind their tone-deaf singing. She sniffed the air, free of the stench of fast food, fuel, and whatever was polluting Domino. Instead of tall buildings and obnoxious skyscrapers for the super-rich, Cora found herself surrounded by trees with blue, snow-capped mountains stretching for miles and miles. Those were the famous Great White Mountains, once home to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon after they migrated to Termnnia to escape the sinking of Vollantia. Now, after the Night of Flames and Tears, those mountains were empty, now a grave to the Blue-Eyes than a home.

It made her sad to think that during the First Age of the Sun, the skies above her would be teeming with thousands of Blue-Eyes White Dragons. To think those beautiful creatures were hunted down to extinction by the Church. _But how?_ She wondered. The card's lore said the dragon was virtually invincible. A creature born from the pieces of a Goddess. How could an organization of radicals just kill them so easily?

No! She shook her head to get the thought out of her head. She was on vacation now. An entire week without school, The Church, and most of all, her father.

Now that she had earned the Blue-Eyes, Seto was on a mean streak. Perhaps Ms. Goldwine was right about him. Maybe he didn't want to find an heir after all. Maybe it was his dragons who demanded his search for an heir, and all these intense obstacles were nothing more than barriers set up on the foundation of his stubbornness and pride. Cora had to climb over each one of those barriers, but they seemed to be getting higher and higher with each day she held the three beautiful dragons in her deck. They were hers now, and there was nothing Seto Kaiba could do about it, so he had to beat those dragons out of her. He was forcing her to quit and give them back - this she knew with all her heart. His coldness towards her was breaking her heart as well as her body.

Her knees still ached, as did her forearm, tired of holding onto the weight of her Duel Disk. She drew cards from her deck so many times, she saw the tips of her fingers getting blistered. She wished she could use those virtual cards produced by Kaiba Corp's Crystal Cloud Network used by the Generation 3 Duel Disks. There was hardly any weight to those new machines. When she requested one, Seto said his famous words: Prove it to me.

"Fucking asshole," Cora muttered.

The clumps of hair not covered by her black beanie flowed behind her in the wind. Her crisp, denim jacket kept her warm, and the black tank top she had underneath allowed for some fresh air to cool her arms and chest, which were getting awfully hot in the last heat of the summer. She looked down at her jeans and picked at a strand of fabric coming out from the many rips she made, much to the chagrin of Ms. Goldwine, who found such as style to be outrageous. Her Stardust Dragon wing pendant swung to and fro over her chest like a pendulum. A small gold necklace with a tiny raindrop-sized diamond was also around her neck. It was a gift from Ms. Goldwine, one that she adored very much.

Kasumi looked at her from the rearview mirror and couldn't help but form a smile; for it was rather pleasing for her to see Cora dress casually.

_Beautiful..._

"Look!" shouted Brandy! She pointed at a herd of Big-Tusked Mammoth, grazing on berries in the fields in front of the mountains. There were hundreds of them. Their purple wool looked so sleek in the sunlight.

Kasumi beamed at the sight of them, then looked back in the rearview mirror. "Is Cora back there? I haven't heard a peep from her."

Cora looked at her from the corner of her eye. "Oh, sorry. I was...nevermind. I saw someone in a dream last night."

"Oh," Amy chimed, looking mischievously at Cora. "Who? Was it a Prince Charming?"

"As if," Cora replied waving her off. "I was challenged to a Duel."

Nixie snorted from the front seat. "Damn. Even in your dreams, you can't catch a break from Dueling. So. Who was the opponent?"

Cora bit her lip. She started gathering the courage to tell them what she saw. "The King of Games," she said.

They all stopped talking.

"Yugi Muto?" Nixie asked. "You're saying he challenged you to a Duel in your dream? What happened? How did it go?"

"More importantly, why?" said Kasumi. "Or are you so obsessed with beating him that you're dreaming about it."

Cora scoffed. "I didn't beat him. He kicked my ass in five turns. All these magicians kept swarming the field, banishing my dragons, destroying them. I didn't get a chance to do anything. I managed to call upon Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon but Yugi beat him without a sweat. And that place he took me to. So bizarre. A Chapel or something with painted glass windows depicting heroes. One of them stood out from the others. The one behind Yugi. The hero in the mural was some kid. A kid with a glowing green eye. He had the three Divine Beasts behind him and crown on his head."

Nixie raised her hand. "Hold up. You're saying you saw Prince Yuri?"

Cora rolled her shoulders and moved her head left and right. "Just a mural of him."

"How intriguing," Brandy said, rubbing her chin. "Didn't Prince Michael write in his blog about the same dream, too?"

"So did Prince Anasatsio," Amy added. "I read about it in the papers. "

Kasumi nodded. "I was fortunate enough to have been visited by him when he went to see Prince Jaeyoung. Master Yugi was one of my greatest teachers. Even though he gave me lessons for a few weeks, I learned more from him than all my instructors put together. There was a mythical presence about him, girls. If I know Master Yugi, I can say for sure that those dreams weren't just dreams."

Nixie yawned. "You mean those dreams were some kind of test? Makes sense. Michael, Jaeyoung, and Stas are chosen Princes of the Alliance. Maybe Yugi tests them in their sleep or something. But why would he choose to face Cora, I wonder."

Cora shrugged her shoulders. "Dunno. And I'd rather not think about it. If my dad finds out Yugi is Dueling me in my dreams - and lost - he's gonna freak. So anyway, Kass. Where's your boyfriend, Ganon? I thought he would come along."

"He is, but much later. On his private Skyship of all things. Ha! No thanks. Not me."

"Scared of flying?" Amy asked.

"I am, and I'm not afraid to admit it," Kasumi replied, looking back at the mammoths. "I'd rather drive. Besides, Costa del Sol isn't that far from Domino. There's no need for a Skyship. To be honest, I'd rather not fly with him. He's been a real handful."

"How so?" Nixie asked, eating another foot-long fruit snack.

Kasumi gripped the steering wheel even harder and sighed. "When your fiancee is one of the most sought after men in the East, you tend to feel a little invisible." She simpered. "Hey, Cora, did you bring your deck?"

Cora grinned. "Of course, I did. Dad would have given me a spanking if I didn't. Why?"

Kasumi laughed at her humor. "Costa del Sol attracts some pretty good players. It's a great place to practice and keep your skills sharp. Remember, after the week is over, you and I are going to Duel to see who's the best in school."

Cora slumped in her seat and crossed her arms. "I haven't forgotten. I've got to say, I'm looking forward to that match. It's payback for calling me a scrub."

Kasumi whistled. "Wow, girl. Are you seriously holding that against me? That was a long time ago."

Amy patted Cora's shoulder. "You're forgetting who she's being raised by."

"I suppose," Kasumi said, rolling her shoulders. "Ah, it should be right over this hill."

Kasumi drove until they saw a city; its buildings were made of glass, gold, and steel. Behind it, an azure ocean as far as the eye can see, edged by white-sand beaches. Soon, the road was surrounded by tall palm trees, and the road didn't feel so lonely anymore, now that cars from another highway were merging with their path. Luxury skyships hovered over the city.

"Hot damn," said Cora. "We're gonna stay here?"

Kasumi snapped her finger. "Of course. We're staying at my father's summer residence. It's all ours for the week. You're going to love it. The estate has a grand view of the ocean, has its own dock with a yacht we can use to light the lanterns for Heroe's Eve, and it's own state-of-art Dueling Arena."

Cora spread her arms on the back of the seat. "Sounds like my kind of place. I can't wait to see it."

Kasumi drove through the city. Palm trees lined down the sidewalks and in between lanes. Cars honked, sirens wailed. Being a girl from the medieval west, Amy thought it was a rather strange world. She grew up in a country with castles, horses, knights, and small villages. To be surrounded by tall buildings of glass and steel and gold was just overwhelming, even after being stuck in Domino for so long. She saw waterfalls thundering down the middle of H-shaped skyscrapers. Spiraled towers and a glass dome that supported a tall, white tower. She wondered how such a feat could be accomplished as she gazed at holographic advertisements that hovered over the city streets. One of them was displaying a new line of facial cream by Misty Tredwell.

Needless to say, as they passed by, a lot of young boys hooted and whistled at them. Cora, ever the narcissist, waved back at them and blew kisses. One of them asked her to flash them. She was about to, but Brandy stopped her in time. "No, no, no!" she said.

It took a whole hour to drive through the vast city and towards the luxurious coast where the elite made home by their own private beaches. Kasumi drove them to what looked like a giant compound made of glass. It was three floors, covered more than a hundred acres surrounded by a white gate. The property had a lake with a fountain at the center, a garden maze dotted with tropical flowers, and a rocky grotto to bathe. Kasumi parked the car in the garage where six other sports cars were parked.

The girls climbed out and stretched. Nixie checked her phone. "Hey, Kass, M is going to be a little late. How is he going to get passed the big gate?"

Kasumi opened the trunk to get her things. "Just let me know when he's nearby. I'll buzz him in. There are lots of rooms, ladies. You can head to the east wing and fight over them. If you wanna use your cards to settle it out, there's an arena in the backyard next to the pool. Cora, come with me. I know just the place for you."

Kasumi unlocked the big, glass door with her key and pushed them open. Her friends squealed as they ran in and marveled at the size of the place. At the center of the foyer was a golden fountain teeming with glowing fish. Cora followed Kasumi all the way to the third floor of the compound. She led her to a large room with two floors and an elevator that led to the basement, which Kasumi proudly revealed had a view of the reef.

"This was my room," Kasumi said, stopping by the door as Cora walked in.

Cora was at a loss for words. It was all hers. She looked around, admiring the white and glass walls of her suite. "Wow, you were one lucky kid."

Kasumi leaned against the doorframe. "Yeah. Every summer for as long as I could remember. I hated coming here, though. I found it too over-the-top and complex. But you know the rich folk of Eastern Termnnia. Their egos are almost as big as your father's. If you need anything, Bridgette will attend to you."

"Bridgette?"

"The housemaid. Our new one, anyway. I hope you don't mind, but, she's an Elf."

Cora tapped her forehead. "I think I remember spending some time with Elfs."

"Oh?"

Cora took off her beanie and let her hair flow down. She shook it from left to right. Kasumi bit her lip. "I can't talk about it. It's too foggy. I see faces flash in my mind every now and then, but I try not to think about it. Keeps me up at night."

"Oooo," hooted Kasumi. "Another vague detail of your mysterious past. Someone could write a book about you. I guess it explains why you can sing songs in Elvish."

"Perhaps," said Cora. "But let's not talk about that. I'm done with mysteries and all that bullshit. Come on, we're on vacation."

"Indeed we are," giggled Kasumi. She couldn't help but stare at a rip on Cora's jeans that was very close to her left buttock. She watched as Cora took her jacket off. The tank top she wore was midriff and the straps of her black g-string curved out from beneath her jeans. Kasumi blushed and looked away. Cora tossed her jacket at one of the couches and walked toward the balcony right next to her bed.

"What a view!" Cora shouted. She yelped and pointed at the water. "Oh! White Dolphin! Look! Look!"

Kasumi laughed. "I've seen them plenty of times, girl. Do you want anything to eat?"

Cora turned elegantly and leaned back the railing, swaying her hips from side to side. "How about something really hot?"

Kasumi nodded her head. "Ah, a fan of spicy foods. How about Darkfire Dragon Noodles? I bet you can't handle those."

Cora raised an eyebrow and smirked from the corner of her mouth. "Challenging me to a Duel of spices, eh? I'll take you on."

"All right, I'll have Bridgette prepare us a bowl. First one to quit has to swim in the ocean tonight."

"Sounds good to me," said Cora.

Kasumi shook her head. The stakes were higher than that. "Butt. Naked."

Cora scoffed. "It's a bet. Hope the water isn't too cold for ya."

* * *

**Madame Angelmen**

* * *

"She's here," she said, staring out into the ocean behind the blinds. "Can perhaps we don't have to wait for the holidays to end after all."

Clovis mocked her from his chair in front of the fireplace. "Just let it go, Auntie. You weren't good enough to take her on."

Madame Angelmen turned her chair around to face him. "Not good enough? One defeat does not determine skill. I could tell I bricked my hand on the first turn. Had it got the right cards, Cora would be long gone by now. Rest assured, I will get my revenge. She will not get away with this. I may not work in Rosenkruz Academy anymore, but I can still pull some strings from here. Of course, she's going to be a far more difficult challenge now that she has those dragons in her deck. Although, this may shed some light on our present situation."

"How do you figure that?"

"Now that she has those dragons at her command, Cora has secured her right as a member of House Kaiba. That makes her the most eligible girl in all of Eredas. Young men of all nobility will be coming for her hand in marriage. Even if she is a stubborn girl, she has no choice. Especially not if she is challenged by a member of another Great House via the Dueling Pact. For many years, our family has tried to convince Seto Kaiba to give us those dragons so they can be handed to you. And now, I think this is the perfect time to get them. And his little girl. Mayhaps even his company."

"What are you saying, Auntie?" Clovis asked.

Madame Angelmen typed something on her computer. Holographic windows popped up before her. She tapped on the one in the middle. Ms. Goldwine's face appeared on the screen. "Yes?" she answered.

"Put me through to Seto Kaiba at once."

"I'm sorry?" Ms. Goldwine said, not liking Madame Angelmen's tone. "Mr. Kaiba is very busy right now and mustn't be disturbed."

"Look, woman, I know you probably think your special because you tuck little Cora into bed every night, but this is a matter of urgent business. Remember, I know things about you that you wish to keep secret. Things that could cost you your job."

Ms. Goldwine frowned. "My mistakes are behind me."

"So you say, child. But the mistakes of the past are like a little ember. Fan them enough, and they will burn down your present and your future. Patch me through to him now, or the whole world will know of that little flimflam with the Count of Evermoore."

Ms. Goldwine's face turned bright pink and her face creased in anger. "Please hold...bitch."

The screen flashed to the image of the Kaiba Corp logo. Madame Angelmen sneered.

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

"Ugh! Call poison control!" cried Brandy, spitting out the red-hot broth of the Darkfire Dragon Soup. "Fuck me! I can't feel my tongue!" she dashed for the sink and slurped water from the faucet as her friends laughed. "Don't laugh at me!" she gurgled. "Oh! It's like nonstop anguish!"

"Think you can handle that?" Kasumi asked, pushing the bowl towards Cora. "It's not too late to back out now."

Cora looked at the flaming red broth and the crimson-colored noodles swimming in it. She scoffed and spun her spoon with her fingers. "And miss the chance of seeing you swimming around naked tonight? No. I ain't backing out now."

Kasumi smirked and folded her arms. "With the way you stare at me in gym class, I don't find your eagerness all that surprising."

"Do I even want to know?" Nixie groaned, face-palming herself.

Bridgette the Elvish housemaid walked into the kitchen with two trays of water. Cora blinked at the sight of her. The elf-girl had long, curled, flaxen hair decorated with little blue ribbons. Her face was sweet and had the delicacy of a porcelain doll. Bright, yellow eyes sparkled in the sunlight. She greeted the girls and set the tray with the glasses of water on the counter.

"For those who wish to quit," she said. Her voice was honey-sweet and quiet as a whisper. "Good luck to you, ladies." She bowed and walked away. Cora leaned her head to the left to watch her as she left. Nixie snapped her fingers in front of Cora's face.

"None of that, please," she said.

"Oh, this is gonna be good," Amy remarked, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. "I've seen Cora eat that spicy ghost pepper burger at school without a tear. How bad can this soup be?"

"Just ask her," Kasumi said, jerking her thumb back at Brandy who was eating cream cheese to quench the pain on her tongue.

Cora wasted no time. She dipped the spoon in the soup named after a fiery Duel Monster. She scooped up a big clump of noodles and an egg, now pink from its bath in the spicey broth. Cora opened wide and gobbled them up. It dripped down her chin, she coughed for a moment; for the soup was indeed very spicy. Quite possibly the spiciest meal she had ever eaten. Her eyes were glazing. She felt her mouth tingle as though a scorpion had stung her in the tongue. The back of her throat tightened, making it difficult to breathe. But she did not pick up the glass of ice-cold water, standing temptingly on the chromed counter.

Kasumi's turn. She looked rather arrogant. No doubt she had this soup before. Her face was turning the color of peach as she slurped the noodles. That made Cora feel better, knowing eating the soup was just as much torture for Kasumi as it was for her.

"Impressive," Amy said, bobbing her head up and down. She backed away from the soup, which was painful even to smell. "Round two to you, Cora. Show Kasumi what you've got."

Cora slurped up another mouthful of noddles. Beads of sweat rolled down her face. Her flesh was getting warm as though someone was roasting her over a fire.

Kasumi's turn. She had no trouble swallowing the noddles. In fact, she slurped them in her mouth as she gave Cora a stone-cold stare, telling her she was not going to win this challenge.

Cora's was next again. She ate the noodles. Her body surrendered. She could take it no more. She spit them out and drank the glass of water. It poured down her chin and dripped on her chest. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" she sobbed.

"Kasumi wins!" Brandy declared. "Cora. You're swimming naked tonight. What a show that's going to be."

Cora coughed and wiped the water from her chin with her forearm. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Everyone is gonna be staring at my ass tonight. You may have beaten me in this soup challenge, Princess, but once we head back to school, the real Duel begins."

Kasumi laughed. "I assure you, Cora. The outcome is going to be the same. But enough about that. Who's up for going to the beach?"

No one could pass that up. They hurried to their rooms and changed into their swimwear. When they had what they needed, Kasumi marched them to her car. Though they had a private beach all to themselves in the back, they wanted to be in the city to be near the shops and restaurants. Perhaps they would go to a club that night. It didn't matter. There was so much to do and they had all the time in the world to do it. They were free from work. Free from school. The night would be theirs. Kasumi raced back into the city and found a place to park right by the beach so their trip wasn't too long.

Brandy found them a comfortable spot underneath a palm tree and was within walking distance of the snack bar, crowded with people.

"To friendship!" Amy said as they clinked their glasses of gold beer together.

"To Prince Yuri," Kasumi added. "For if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be here on this most glorious day. Together and enjoying the fruits of life." She looked at Cora. "Uh, girl. My eyes are up here."

"I know," said Cora. "I was just checking out your pendant. Yeah."

"A likely story," Kasumi said smiling and admiring the blue string bikini with heart-shaped rings and beads that Cora wore. "So, Ms. Kaiba. Up for a game of volleyball."

"Why not? After that long car ride from Domino, I could use a little exercise."

Cora's smartwatch started beeping with a specific ringtone. "Uh oh," she said. It was the one she chose for her father. She pressed a button on the side of the watch. A holographic screen digitized over the watch showing her father's face in a 3D image.

"Cora," he said.

"Hey, daddy. What's up?"

"Why is your face red?" he said irritably. "And why are your pupils dilated? If you're doing drugs I'll..."

Cora looked at Kasumi. Her friend nodded, clarifying that Cora's face was still burning from the meal they had earlier. She looked back at the screen and said: "I'm not, Seto. Chill out. I just had Dark Fire Dragon Soup." She heard Mokuba laughing in the background.

"Oh man," he said. "I don't blame her for looking like that. Remember when you had a bowl of that stuff, Seto?"

"Shut up, Mokuba," Kaiba said, pointing at the door, signaling him to leave. "Cora, it appears your vacation may be cut short."

Cora felt her stomach drop. "What? You can't be serious. I just got here!"

"Listen to that tone," Madame Angelmen said approaching their spot with Prince Clovis in tow. "If she were my daughter, I'd sit her on the stove to teach her how to act like a proper lady." She shook her head, sneering at Cora's attire. "Look at her. Dressed like a common whore. You ought to be ashamed to be raising such a girl, Seto."

"What!?" shouted Brandy. "She can't talk to you that way!"

Cora narrowed her eyes and clenched her teeth. "You! Daddy, what gives? I thought she'd leave us alone if I beat her."

Prince Clovis chuckled. "The deal was that she would leave Rosenkruz Academy if you defeated her. My Auntie is a woman of her word."

The daughter of House Kaiba rolled her eyes and mocked them. "Let me guess. You want to go back to school again. And you want to beat me in a Duel to get your spot back, right?"

Madame Angelmen sneered. "Good guess, but no. We're after an even greater prize. You."

"What do you mean?"

Seto spoke. "As a member of a Great House of the Rhodasian States, Madame Angelmen has invoked a Duel between you and Clovis under oath in the Dueling Pact."

"The Dueling Pact?" Kasumi gasped. "Shit. Sorry, Cora, there's no way out of this one. You have to accept the challenge."

Seto agreed with a bow of his head. "Hm. Princess Kasumi is right, Cora. There's nothing we can do about it. Madame Angelmen has decreed that her nephew, Prince Clovis take you on in this Duel."

Cora looked at Clovis and shook her head. "Figures. What are the stakes?"

"Simple," said Clovis, he held a rose in his hand. "If you defeat me, you will never hear from us again. However, if you lose, you surrender your Blue-Eyes White Dragons and all their support cards to me."

Cora sniggered. "Sure. Whatever."

"I am not done," Clovis said, his grin growing wider. "For not only will you surrender your dragons, but you must also agree to marry me."

The girls fell silent.

Cora, however, babbled uncontrollably. "Wh-wh-what?"

Clovis laughed at her shock. "Yes, Cora. And this time, there's nothing daddy can do to help you. We'll have our Duel right now. "Let's do this, Cora! This time, I will defeat you."

"Ha," Cora said, morphing her watch into a Duel Disk. "You've been saying that since the first time I've beaten you."

**LP 4000**

"I will start first," said Clovis, now wielding a small, sheild-shaped Duel Disk, with a lion's head on the center with glowing blue eyes. It had gems encrusted around it. Its mouth was open, holding his cards, wrapped in gold sleeves with scrollwork designs. "Ah, this will do. I summon Unknown Warrior of Fiend!"

"Next, I set a card face-down. Now, I will activate Exchange. Now I can take a card from your hand in exchange for one of mine." He walked to Cora, eyes glued to her curves exposed in her bikini. "Here," he said. "You can have my Polymerization card. I'll take...ah..." Cora had all three Blue-Eyes White Dragons in her hand. "I'll take your Trade-In card."

"You sure about that?" Cora sneered. "You handed me Polymerization. I think you should know what happens when all three Blue-Eyes White Dragons are fused together."

"Oh," Clovis said, snatching her card. "Silly me, then." He walked back to his side of the field. "I end my turn."

"You are such an idiot," said Cora. "Nothing can prepare you for what's coming. I use Polymerization, fusing together my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons into the mighty, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

The sand behind Cora exploded. Out from the earth, her three-headed beast emerged. It roared loudly at the sun, causing many of the beachgoers around them to stop what they were doing and watch the Duel. They wondered where was Seto Kaiba, for it was only he who could wield such a mighty beast. It didn't take them long for them to realize that it was a girl who was the one who summoned the beast. Cora! They all cried out.

"You've drawn quite a crowd with your beast," said Clovis. "But too bad you won't get to use him."

"What do you mean?"

Clovis laughed, his eyes widening and his grin stretching to its limits to express all the malice he felt in his heart. "Behold, my Trap Card, Chthonian Polymer!"

"Oh, that's not good!" Kasumi cried. "At the cost of his own monster, Chthonian Polymer will allow Clovis to take control of Cora's Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

"Say what!" Cora cried. "Oh, fuck me!"

A fiery wind slithered out of the card and surrounded the ultimate dragon. The three-headed behemoth succumbed to its spell and floated to Clovis's side of the field.

Clovis held out his arms as the Blue-Eyes stood behind him. "Now your Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon is right where he belongs. With me. As will you, for once I destroy you with this beautiful engine of destruction, you will be married to me."

"Excellent, Clovis!" cheered Madame Angelmen. "Excellent."

Cora stared at her monster and trembled. "I've beaten him before, Clovis. And I'll do it again if I have to. For now, I summon Assault Wyvern in defense mode."

"My, my, my. Is that all you can do, my pet? I am not surprised, for your mightiest creature is now under my control. A testament of things to come; for soon all your beautiful dragons will be mine. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, show her the future! Neutron Blast!"

The three Blue-Eyes reared their heads and shot a massive burst of energy that atomized the monster Cora summoned. Clovis slowly clapped. "Your ace is supposedly that Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, correct? Well, you're out of luck, my dear. I use the Spell Card, Prohibition. So long as this card is up on the field, you cannot use that monster. Now, all that's left in your deck are pathetic support cards that will do you no good. Your three Blue-Eyes are in the Graveyard on the count of you using them to Fusion summon my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon."

"Your Ultimate Dragon!"

"Yes. Face it, Cora, there's nothing you can do to stop it."

Cora sighed. "If that's how you truly feel, then that dragon is not for you."

"What?"

"Ignore her," commanded Madame Angelmen. "She's a bitter little girl who's about to be taught a lesson."

"Can I go now?" Cora asked impatiently. "Draw! I...I choose to end my turn without playing a card."

Clovis burst out laughing. "I knew you were just bluffing, Cora. In the end, I always get what I want. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, attack her and end this Duel now!"

"No! I activate my spell, Majesty with Eyes of Blue!"

"What's this?"

A white dragon flew from behind Cora and stared furiously into the eyes of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. The white dragon continued flapping its wings, hovering above Cora and gazing at the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon with a paralyzing glare.

"The monster you see is Dragon Spirit of White. It can be treated as a Blue-Eyes as well. I sent it to the Graveyard to activate the spell. So long as MY Ultimate Dragon remains face-up on the field, you can't attack with it."

"You rotten girl! I'll make you pay for this! I set a card face-down and use the Spell, Monster Reborn! Now, I bring back one of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons in your Graveyard and put it under my control!"

A Blue-Eyes White Dragon flew out of the sand and stood over Clovis. "It works!" cried Madame Angelmen. "They obey him!"

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon turned its head towards her and snarled, telling her to shut up. "Don't you treat her that way!" Clovis shouted. "I am your master now! You fight for me! I command you! I own you! And there's nothing you can do about it!"

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon opened its mouth and prepared to blast him with its Neutron Blast attack.

"What are you doing!? Stop!"

"Hold it!" shouted Cora, holding up a pacifying hand. The dragon stopped. All three heads turned to look at her. "It's my fault you got taken. I'm sorry. But you can't keep hurting people just because you don't like them. That's not what I want you to do. Please, cease your attack. Do it for me."

"What the fuck?" Nixie whispered. "Is she talking to that Phantom?"

Amy shook her head. "Cora's bond with that dragon is strong. I think that dragon is no ordinary Phantom or hologram."

The dragon snarled.

Cora shook her head. "That's not the right way. _Krevveth yos atrakhan!_ Let's teach him a lesson together. Draw! Woo! I've got Pot of Greed. Two free cards for me. Oh, I couldn't have asked for a better pair. First, here's my man, The King of Dragons!"

She summoned a mighty king wearing armor made of dragon bone and a long, flowing, red, high-collared cape. He carried a triple-handled guitar crafter to look like a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

"From my hand, I activate Dragon Revival Rhapsody. Take it away, King of Dragons!"

King of Dragons furiously played his guitar, summoning a great storm. The ghosts of Cora's Blue-Eyes started roaring. Two of them formed on either side of her. They roared and hissed at Clovis.

Amy jumped. "Yes, she brought two of her Blue-Eyes back."

"And now, I activate the spell card, **Gifts of Vollantia**! For every Blue-Eyes on the field, I get to draw one card. So that's four cards."

"Draw whatever you like..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah Ultimate Dragon, most powerful on the field. Goddesses, you're like a broken record, Clovis. First, I use Fissure, which lets me destroy one monster on your field with the lowest attack, so now that Blue-Eyes returns to my Graveyard. Now, I'll bring it back to my side of the field with a little help from my friend Neo Kaiser Glider."

Now, Cora had all three Blue-Eyes back her field. "And for my final card," she flipped it around to show him.

"Polymerization!" cried Clovis. "But, it can't be! You have another Ultimate Dragon."

"A whole new ultimate dragon," Cora corrected him. "Neo-Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

Cora's monster was a bigger, more powerful version of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Its body was covered in glowing blue patterns and its skin was sleek, metallic white. The end of the tale was a crystalized double-bladed axe.

"Our monsters are evenly matched!" shouted Clovis. "You'll destroy them both!"

"Close, but no cigar," said Cora. "Remember when I discarded Neo Kaiser Glider to the Graveyard. Well, when that happens, he can decrease all monsters on your side of the field by five-hundred points."

"Oh no! I won't let you!"

"You have no choice. Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Hyper Neutron Blast!"

The dragon fired colorful beams of light at the regular Ultimate Dragon and blew him to bits. Clovis flipped up his Trap Card.

"Thought you could outsmart me, eh? I'll show you! Michizure! Now, your Neo Ultimate Dragon will go down with mine."

Neo Ultimate Dragon roared and exploded. Cora stood still and sighed. "And monologue in three, two, one..."

"There! Now neither of us have a...what..."

Something else appeared behind Cora. Something bright, and colossal in size. A heavenly dragon appeared out of the light. Its oddly-shaped angelic wings formed a sort of halo above its head. It was covered in spikes and blue-orbs.

"What...what is that?" Clovis babbled.

Cora smiled and blew a kiss at the new beast. "When your card effect destroyed my Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, it triggered the effect of my Deep-Eyes White Dragon.

"Some beast," mocked Madame Angelmen. "Look at that thing. It has nothing. It has no attack points."

"For now he does," said Cora. "I get to choose a dragon in the Graveyard and my Deep-Eyes White Dragon gains attack points equal to that monster's attack points. And I choose my Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Now Deep-Eyes White Dragon's attack is forty-five hundred. But that's not going to matter, really. When Deep-Eyes White Dragon is summoned, it can inflict six-hundred points of damage to your Life Points for each dragon I have in the Graveyard. I count seven, Clovis."

"No! That means...!"

"It's over!"

Deep-Eyes White Dragon launched a multi-directional laser attack from the orbs on its body. Clovis was blasted back and slammed into Madame Angelmen.

Cora looked back at her friends and winked as Deep-Eyes White Dragon gave a roar of victory. "Anybody get that on film?"

"I did," said Kasumi. "Recorded the entire thing for your father to see. I'll send it to Ms. Goldwine right away."

"Good," said Cora. She looked back at Madame Angelmen, who was struggling to get Clovis off her. "My work here is done," she said. "Looks like it's the last we're going to see of those two idiots."

Kasumi put an arm around Cora. "Yeah, babe, don't think this is over. We still have to head back to my place to take care of a little business."

Cora gulped. "Oh. Shit."

* * *

She did her best to try and ignore their infernal giggling behind her as she stood by the surf of Kasumi's private beach. She looked over her shoulder at her friends, each of them holding a piece of her clothing. A moment ago, she had a powerful dragon flying proudly beside her. Now...she was here.

"You bitches are going to pay for this," she yelled.

"Hey, a deal's a deal, babe," Kasumi said, munching on a bag of chips. "You signed a check with your mouth, now it's time to cash in. Now, go on. We wanna head out tonight while it's still early."

"Fuck my life," Cora grumbled and the ran into the water, diving into a wave. She swam for a good five minutes. When she decided to go back to the beach, her friends were gone.

She raised her fist at the compound. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"


	17. Dragon Season

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

Cora wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees, gazing out into the reef from her bed. Kasumi was right about the view. The reef was teeming with colorful fish and giant manta rays that had glowing patterns on their wings. She sat on a round, red bed, where she chose to sleep the night before. She sighed heavily, finding it hard to believe that just a few months ago, she was wandering the streets of Eredas with smelly rags and an empty stomach. She looked at her deck, resting on the night table beside her bed. The Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon was the one on top. It was the card that allowed her to be accepted by Seto Kaiba. If it hadn't been for the Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon, that night could have been any other night, and Kaiba could have gone off feeling chipper of doing a good deed. She picked up the deck, holding it with both hands.

"What was it about me that you found so special?" Cora asked. "Not even Seto has you. You could have gone to him but you didn't. You came to me. What is it about me that you find so damn special? What am I? Come on. I know you can talk or at least hear me. Don't you have any answers for me, or is this one of those figure it out kind of things? Can I at least get that?" The card didn't answer. Every shimmer in the prismatic, secret-rare foil brought her hopes up as if it were going to glow and show her everything like in the movies.

But it didn't do anything.

"Please. I love the gifts I have now. But I'm so confused. Everybody expects something of me, even you!" She spread her deck so she could see all the cards from Blue-Eyes White to Ultimate Dragon. "All of you!" she continued. "What is going on here?"

Silence.

"Who am I kidding?" Cora groaned. "I'm talking to a piece of cardboard."

The elevator dinged. Bridgette came walking down the hall. It took her a while to get to the room. She carried a silver tray with a glass of milk, a stack of pancakes, bacon, and eggs. A rose was also on the tray. Cora fixed her hair and waited for the pretty maid to come down the steps, which were divided by aquariums teeming with tropical fish inside.

"Good morning, milady," she said, almost in a whisper. "The girls missed you at breakfast, so I decided to prepare you a meal of your own."

Cora smiled and brushed some hair over her ear with her fingertips. "Well, if you had to stand naked in front of your friends, would you want to see them so quickly?"

Bridgette tittered as she set her tray down on a table in the den. "I suppose not. You don't harbor any ill feelings towards them for that, do you?"

"No, of course, not. I knew what I was getting myself into. So, where are you from?"

"The Silvermoon Forest," the maid replied. "I traveled all the way from Naralia escaping slavery."

Cora gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry. But why are you here serving as a maid if you wanted to escape indentured servitude?"

"Lady Kasumi's family took me in not long after I crossed the border into Eredas. They've been very kind to me. I am fed well, clothed, and get paid. I even get pampered every now and then by the family, who see me as one of their own. And I can come and go as I please. I have nowhere else to go and they keep me protected from the Church. Their malice spreads every day with every broadcast from Knox."

"Somebody has got to stop him," Cora said, getting out of bed. "It's not right for someone to be spreading so much hate. As if our world isn't divided enough already with all these wars going on on every front from here to Emboldor."

"Indeed. But rejoice. Prince Yuri is in good health and will be returning soon. Once he does, the fighting will stop. And perhaps the Church will be put in its place. The Interregnum has made them rather bold, but with a High King on the throne, they will learn to obey, lest they suffer the wrath of his God Cards. Oh, but enough of that. Politics can be such a dark and toxic topic. There is hate and prejudice out there, but our people are strong and united. We will get through these troubled times. And you, My Lady, are on vacation. Enjoy yourself. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

Cora smiled. Hesitating to call her? Perish the thought. She nodded slowly and said: "I won't. Thank you."

Bridgette bowed and walked away. Cora shook her head watching her leave. "Mmm-mmm. She's fine. She is fine."

She quickly dressed into a white summer dress and ate her breakfast in a flash before she headed upstairs. Still embarrassed by what happened the night before, Cora avoided her friends and headed out into the city on her own. She hailed a cab that took her downtown to the library. For some reason, Cora felt like working on her essay on House Kaiba. Just because she was on vacation, it was no excuse not to work on it. She got a lot done, but there was still a lot more to go before the semester was done.

It made her sad to know this would be her only year at Rosenkruz. She really loved the school and her friends. Duelist Academy was the school of schools, reserved for only the elite, but she felt like Rosenkruz held a special place in her heart. The cab driver dropped her off in front of the library. She paid him with credits from her silver card and walked into the library.

The fans above the entrance refreshed her from the blistering heat outside. She approached one of the librarians and asked her if there were any books on Vollantia and the Great Houses of White. They were all upstairs on the third floor. Cora found the section where the books were and carried as many as she could to a nearby table by a window with a great view of the ocean and the skyline. Her phone buzzed. She got a text from Kasumi, who was wondering where she was.

Cora replied: **In the library. Piss off! >:(**

She got no more texts after that and began to do her assignment, working from nine in the morning till two in the afternoon. She sighed and gave a stretch before deciding to call it a day. She noticed someone was looking at her from the table across hers. A girl was peering behind her book like a minx peering from its den in the forest. She noticed Cora spotted her and hid back behind her book. She had long periwinkle-colored hair with streaks of blonde on the tips. Her eyes were as blue as Cora's and her skin was tan from being kissed by the sun all day, telling Cora that the girl in front of her liked sunbathing. Her nails were baby blue in color. She wore a shoulderless top with a splattered star on the front, a denim skirt, with pink flip-flops completing her look. Even her toenails were painted baby blue. Her backpack, resting on the chair she was sitting on was a plush Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

She peered back at Cora again and ducked. Cora sniggered. She got up and put her books away. Curious to see if her admirer was still there, she returned to surf the web on her laptop. The girl was still there and she was still peeking at Cora from behind her book. Cora shut her laptop and walked towards her. She pulled up a chair and sat down.

"You can say hi, you know?" she said.

The girl blinked bashfully.

Cora drummed her fingers on the table. "I don't bite."

"Are you Cora Kaiba?" she asked.

"Yes. How did you figure that?"

"I saw you in the papers yesterday," the girl replied, setting her book down. "You really have them?"

"Have what?"

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Not only that but the Ultimate Dragon as well. And that other one. The one that looked like an angel. That one was my favorite."

Cora dug into her pocket and pulled out her deck. She flipped around until she found the card. "You mean this one?" She held Deep-Eyes White Dragon up for her to see.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" the girl exclaimed. "Can I...can I hold it?"

The corner of Cora's mouth twitched. She didn't know whether to smile or to frown. "Try to run off with it, and I'll kick your ass."

The girl's lips trembled and her eyes glimmered with hurt. "Oh, I won't if it's too much trouble."

"Aww," Cora said sadly. "Just be careful, okay?" She handed the card to the girl.

"No, thank you," said the girl. "It's so pretty. I love the design of its wings."

"Me, too," said Cora.

The girl looked back at Cora. "Is it your favorite? I know it's mine."

"It's cool, but my favorite is this one." She showed her the card. "Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon."

The girl's blue eyes widened. "Wow. You have them all. Amazing. I'm sorry. My name is Krissa."

"Krissa? Nice to meet you, Kriss. So, are you busy?"

Krissa shook her head. "At the moment, no. I'm just here to read a good romance novel in the morning. Why?"

"Well, I figured you wanted to go get some lunch or something. Hang out. If you don't want to, I completely understand."

"Oh! It's no trouble at all, really. What are you in the mood for? I'll pay for your meal if you'd like."

Cora scoffed. "Girl, have you forgotten something? I'm a Kaiba. It's on me."

* * *

**Kasumi**

* * *

Night had fallen and there was still no sign of Cora. Save for the message telling her to piss off, there was not a word from her. For this reason, she and the others did not go out today. Perhaps it was for the best, after all, it was raining heavily outside. She bathed in a green marble tub watching news about a vigilante back in Domino who saved Princess Alexis from a gang of mages. She was up to her neck in pink bubbles, her head resting on a red silk pillow. She listened to the raindrops tap against the glass wall beside the tub, offering a panoramic view of the ocean outside. It was pitch black out there, save for the lights of the many white citadels on islands that formed a line of defense against invaders. She picked up her glass of apple martini and drank the last of it. She sighed and set the glass down, drumming her fingers impatiently on the table that rested beside the tub.

"That girl is going to get it," she muttered impatiently. She got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself, then walked behind a dressing screen to put on a short pink kimono bathrobe made of silk and embellished with flowers and dragons. As she tied her hair back into a ponytail, she kept a close eye on the phone, in case Cora messaged her. Still nothing. Even after she finished with her hair, there was still not a word from her. Kasumi's worry soon turned into frustration. She sent Cora one final message.

**If ur not here by midnite i'm locking ur ass out of the house until dawn. Dont piss me off Cora!**

Hopefully, she would see that. There was a knock on her door. "Enter," she answered.

The door slid open. It was Bridgette carrying her evening tea.

"How was your bath, My lady?" she asked.

"Lovely," Kasumi answered, applying a cream to her face in front of the lit-up mirror. "Have you heard at all from Cora? Have the girls heard anything from her? Just set it down on the glass table over there, honey."

Bridgette did as requested and poured Kasumi's tea into the cup. "No, Lady Kasumi, I haven't heard a word from her. I asked the other ladies of her whereabouts, and they don't know either."

Kasumi sighed sadly and stared at her reflection. It was almost ten in the evening. Where could she have gone to?

"Do you care a lot for Miss Cora, Lady Kasumi?" Bridgette asked, opening sugar packets. "I see the way you look at her and..."

"That is not your place, Bridgette," Kasumi interrupted her at once. "You are treading in dangerous waters. I suggest you stop."

Bridgette bowed apologetically. "Forgive me, Princess. It truly wasn't my place to say. I guess I was a little excited that was all."

"Excited for what?"

Bridgette smiled and lamented softly. "I thought for just a moment that we would finally be rid of that Jack Ganon fellow. He does not treat you right. You're not happy with him. And, well, we've known each other for quite some time. I know enough about you to know that you don't love him. That you wish he was...someone else."

Kasumi put her head down on her arms. "I never did, Bridgette. This marriage is more for political gain than of love. Hell, there was never love to begin with, as I said. They told me I'd get used to him. That I would become fond of him in due time. Well, we've been affianced for almost two years and I haven't felt a damn thing. I knew from the moment our parents introduced us to each other that he was not for me. He's such a womanizer and a narcissist. He parades me in skimpy dresses to be seen as arm candy for the press. He thinks because he can play sixteen to the bar on the piano that he's Prince Yuri. Believe it or not, he actually said he was better than Yuri in every way shape and form. How's that for pomposity?"

Bridgette giggled and delivered Kasumi her tea. "Men tend to flex their egos and their muscles when it comes to women, my lady. They overexaggerate things to get more attention the way birds of paradise show off their feathers to attract mates. For people like Lord Ganon, their money and power are their feathers. The flashier it is, the more they believe it will attract a mate."

"I suppose," Kasumi said with a heavy sigh. "Hmm. You know something, Bridgette? I think I should probably head out and look for Cora. She's been gone an awfully long time."

Bridgette gave a nod. "See that you do, Princess. She is the daughter of Seto Kaiba. I'm sure she's fine, but she's probably in no rush to see you or the other girls. She was rather bashful this morning."

Kasumi laughed remembering the sight of Cora last night. She licked her lips.

"What was that?" Bridgette asked.

"Nothing! I was just...getting the flavor of the martini out of my lips. It's still stuck there."

"Then I suggest you go brush your teeth, my lady. Do bundle up before you head out. It's awfully rainy out there. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

The rain had finally stopped but the sky was still cloudy, giving it a deep lavender color. The wood of the pier Cora and Krissa walked on was damp and smelled sweet, but it was overpowered by fries, hot dogs, and the salty smell of the ocean beside them. The waves seemed a lot more violent in the stormy winds. But that didn't stop the citizens of Costa del Sol from enjoying the night. A jazz musician merrily played his saxophone while standing in front of a red-brick fountain surrounded by ferns. Cora liked the song he played and he looked rather friendly. She took a silver coin and flipped it into his case. He tipped his hat as a thank you.

"You sure are generous, Cora," Krissa said, eating pepperoni pretzels from a bag.

"Hey, I think he's doing a pretty good job." Her phone buzzed. Someone had sent her a text message. It was an unknown number. "What the hell? Meet me at Pier Twenty-Two."

Krissa peered over her shoulder to see the message. "Who sent you that? Your friend?"

Cora tilted her head to the right. Her face scrunched with uncertainty. "I'm guessing so," Cora replied. She wasn't sure what to make out of the message. The sender was unknown and this was a private number. Mayhaps it was one of her companions using someone else's phone. Most likely it was Amy - clumsy girl had a tendency of forgetting her phone's charger. Might as well just check it out. Pier 22 was not that far from where they were. Krissa, however, seemed a little anxious. She didn't know why but there was something about that text that didn't feel right. She felt nervousness pooling up in her tummy and her heart was beating a little faster. Everything about that text spelled bad news.

Krissa grabbed Cora by the arm and yanked her back. Cora yelped from the slight sting on her joints. She dropped her soda. "Cora, no!" Krissa cried out.

"What's gotten into you?" Cora yelled, yanking her arm away from Krissa's grip. "Have you gone completely nuts or something?"

"I have a very bad feeling about this, Cora, please, just listen to me."

"Look, we're on the piers. There are people all over the place. Kind of a stupid place to cause mischief don't you think?"

"But, Cora!"

"No, buts!" Cora snapped. "You can come along or you can go home."

Krissa shook her head, her hair flapping wildly. "I don't have a home."

"You don't have a home? How can you be poor and live in a place like Costa del Sol? And those clothes you're wearing don't look like they're from the thrift shop. Girl, that nail polish alone looks like it costed more than its fair share of silver coins. Who are you? Tell me the truth."

"I'm not from around here, that's all I'm going to tell you. Cora, listen, I didn't just seek you out to befriend you. I'm here to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" Cora asked. "What the hell is going on, Krissa?"

"It's difficult to explain."

"Then that means you're bullshitting," said Cora. "If you really had a purpose protecting me, you would have given me a straight answer. Krissa, it was a pleasure, but I really must be going now."

"Cora wait!"

"No. I said goodbye."

"At least take this," Krissa said, stuffing two cards into Cora's pocket.

"What the..." She dug the cards out of her pocket. The creature on the artwork sent a shiver down her spine. It was a girl with a delicate face and bright blue eyes. To Cora's shock, the girl resembled Krissa. Maiden with Eyes of Blue. "She's beautiful," said Cora. "Where did you..." She looked at the second card. It was a Synchro Monster. Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon, a long, lost relative of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "Krissa where did you get this?"

"From the same person who gave you the dragon that saved your life?" Krissa answered. "The Dragon Goddess. Safaani."

"How do you know about that?" Cora demanded. "Nobody was there except those boys who tried to..." She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "Who tried to hurt me. How do you know what happened to me that night."

"Cora, I am a Priestess to the Dragon Goddess. I have seen you in my dreams. Safaani instructed me to give you those two cards and guide you to your destiny."

"My destiny?" Cora said, still gazing at the cards. "Krissa, what's going on?"

"You think you were just born out of thin air, Cora Kaiba? No, there is more to you than you know. Your life is intertwined with that of Safaani. I can help you."

Cora looked at the girl. She added the two cards to her deck and looked into her eyes, looking more and more like aquamarines with each passing second. She felt as though she were being enchanted by a magical spell just looking into them. Two were two endless pools of blue mixing with cerulean and midnight. The sparkles of light that reflected from the illumination of the city were the stars of that endless azure void. Cora smiled and placed a hand on Krissa's cheek.

"Let's go figure out what this text means. I'll take but you a room for you to stay in for a while, but in exchange I want answers."

Krissa nodded. "Just be careful, Cora. I have a really bad feeling about this."

Cora took Krissa's hand and led her down the piers until the found the twenty-second one. It was mostly reserved for commercial trade. But the ships did not dock today, leaving it hauntingly empty. Krissa bit her lip nervously, trying to keep herself from whining and angering Cora any further. Cards or no cards, her patience was as thin as a Duel Monster card, much like the man who adopted her.

They walked the entire length of the pier. The salty wind blew in their faces, chilling them. Powerful waves surged in the black ocean. It was hard to tell what was water and what was sky; they both melted into a depth of inky blackness.

"There doesn't appear to be anyone here," said Cora. "See, I told you everything was going to be fine."

"I suppose so," Krissa said. "Perhaps we should go now."

"Nuh-uh," Cora said, leaning against the moist, wooden rail of the pier. "Check out the view. It's so pretty, huh? Come on, check it out."

"Mayhaps there's a better place for us to enjoy the ocean, Cora? I know a restaurant just over there that will let us eat by the water. They have the best Niwatori steaks in the city."

"Is that another lie I detect?" Cora teased her. "A second ago you told me you were a homeless priestess. Now you frequent establishments that served Nitwatori meat? I don't like being lied to, you know. It will lead to..." She smacked Krissa's bottom. "Consequences."

Krissa smiled at what Cora had just done and rubbed where she had struck her. "Sounds like very interesting consequences."

Cora couldn't help but laugh at that. "And she's playful at that. You are just full of surprises, Krissa. But I think these two cards you gave me take the cake. How in the world were you able to get your hands on Blue-Eyes White Dragon support? It's impossible if you're not Seto Kaiba."

"Seto Kaiba is not the only one who has a claim to the might of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Cora. They have gone to many they have found worthy. And they have chosen you, my dear."

"You know a lot about that, huh?" Cora asked, gazing back at the ocean.

"Just fuck already!" someone shouted behind them.

The girls turned around in shock. A gang of young boys was riding skateboards around the pier. They laughed at the two girls as they blocked their way.

"See, I told you she would fall for it. Not even Seto Kaiba's daughter is safe from my hacking," said a boy wearing a green hoodie and black slacks. He wore goggles with glowing green lenses and yellow lines of data and graphs flashing.

"I knew this would be trouble," Krissa said, holding onto Cora's arm.

"What do you guys want?" Cora shouted.

"A Duel," said a boy wearing a poofy, white parka with yellow furred trim. He had on a black baseball cap placed backward and he wore baggy blue jeans. "You're Cora Kaiba, correct?"

"Yeah."

"You should know, it's not safe to be walking around these parts at night. This here is our turf. Also, someone put a bounty on you."

"A bounty?"

"That's right," said the boy. He got off his skateboard and flipped it to his arms. "Name's Bless. I own these piers. Normally, I wouldn't have a problem with two gorgeous girls walking around my place, but as I said, someone has paid for your defeat. One Prince Clovis has put the word out to every player in town. A reward of four million gold to the person who defeats you and takes your dueling deck."

"I should have known," said Cora. She couldn't help but giggle at that. "Clovis. He's a weak player. I beat his ass so bad that he's hiring thugs like you punks to take me out."

Bless scoffed. "Details, details. I also find it rather pitiful. But four million gold is too much to pass up despite how pathetic the reasons. So, it's time to Duel, Cora Kaiba." One of his friends handed him a default Battle City Duel Disk. Bless put it on and slid his deck inside.

**LP 4000**

Cora's ring morphed into a Duel Disk. "I'll go first," she said. "I set a card face-down and summon a monster in defense position. Your move."

Bless drew. He puckered his lips at Krissa to tease her. "Nothing impressive. I heard about your dragons. But their power pales in comparison to the mighty Dracoslayers. I add to the Scales the one and only Master Pendulum, the Dracoslayer, and Dark Doriado. Now, I use the power of Pendulum Summoning to bring out Luster Pendulum the Dracoslayer and Samurai Cavalry of Reptier, who has an attack power of twenty-two hundred. I'll use him to attack your face-down monster. Next, I'll have Luster Pendulum attack you directly."

"He won't," said Cora. "I activate Counter Gate. Now, I can cancel out your direct attack and draw a card. If it's a monster, I get to summon it." She drew, smiled, and kissed the card. "Here's my man, my BF, The King of Dragons!"

Her monster appeared after a dazzling display of lightning, with thunder that sounded like the roar of a thousand Blue-Eyes White Dragons roaring at once. "When this handsome dude is summoned, I can add a specific spell card to my hand. Also, the face-down monster you destroyed was The White Stone of Ancients. So come your end phase, I'll have a special surprise waiting for you."

Bless formed a sinister grin and sniggered. "How cute. But I think I have a perfectly good idea of what that surprise is. So, I'll fuse together my Samurai Cavalry and Luster Pendulum to create Dinoster Power, the Mighty Dracoslayer! And before you ask, I don't need to use Polymerization to combine them together."

When the fusion was complete and Dinoster Power crouched onto the field, Bless continued with another effect. "Now, with Dark Doriado on the Pendulum Scales, all EARTH, WATER, WIND, AND FIRE monsters gain a two-hundred point boost in attack and defense, so Dinoster Power's defense increases to thirty-one-fifty. Now, even your Blue-Eyes will have a hard time getting through him. I set a card. Your turn, Cora."

Sure enough, once his turn ended, a Blue-Eyes White Dragon was summoned to the field with the effect of White Stone of Ancients.

"I'll be safe from it," Bless bragged.

Cora wagged her finger at him and tsked. "Really? Already thinking that big tank is going to be enough to defend you against my dragons? I'll show you not to underestimate them." She drew. "Remember when The King of Dragons was summoned?"

Bless waved her off uncaringly. "So you can add a spell. Big deal."

Cora giggled at his behavior. "Arrogance at its fullest. It's almost a beautiful sight to behold. Especially the faces you make when I stuff it down your throats. The card I used to add to my hand with the King's effect was Flute of Summoning Dragon. This powerful spell can only be activated when there's a Lord of Dragons on the field. Thankfully, the King over here is treated as Lord of Dragons."

The King of Dragons played his guitar instead of playing the flute. The eyes of the ultimate dragon guitar started glowing bright blue and the red symbol on their foreheads illuminated as well.

Cora held up two cards. "From my hand! I summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon and the mighty Krystal Dragon! Next, I activate Polymerization, fusing my Blue-Eyes together."

"Hold on a minute!" shouted Bless. "You need three Blue-Eyes to make the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

Cora laughed at his ignorance. "I never said I was making a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Bless. My two dragons will combine to form Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon!"

The two dragons were pulled into the fusion vortex. Lightning sparked from the vortex's core. Finally, it released a two-headed dragon, whose body looked like light made solid with neon blue patterns decorating the surface and wings.

**ATK/3000**

** **

"Now, I activate Silver's Cry to bring back one of my Blue-Eyes from the Graveyard."

Cora was surrounded by a menagerie of glistening, white, glowing dragons. Bless and his boys backed away, slowly, marveling at the beasts and all their splendor. And to see them summoned by such a beautiful girl excited them even more. To think that something so sweet, so delicate, could control dragons of such power and terror was like something out of a storybook. The dragons roared and screeched, flapping their wings and creating a fierce wind to threaten the boys.

"Blue-Eyes Twin-Burst Dragon, attack his Dinoster Power, the Mighty Draco Slayer. Double White Lightning!"

"What a fool," Bless taunted her.

The attack from the first head smashed into Dinoster, doing nothing to him. He withstood the blast as though he were hit with a summer breeze. Cora's Life Points trickled down to 3850. But then, the second head struck and banished him from the game.

"What!"

Cora placed her hands on her hips and bent forward vexingly. "Ooo, sorry about that, big boy. When Blue-Eyes Twin-Burst Dragon attacks a monster and it still remains on the field, that monster is Banished from the game. Now, with this final onslaught, I end the game."

"I think not, little lady. It's not going to be that easy. I activate my trap, Mirror Force!"

Cora stomped her foot on the ground. "WHAT!? That is so unfair!"

The blast of each dragon bounded off the mirrored aegis defending Bless. Each attack combined to form a dragon of white lightning. It flew back at Cora's monsters and ended them. The blast shook the pier.

Bless and his gang laughed at her. "Arrogance," he mocked her. "Such a beautiful thing." His gang jumped together, bouncing off one another and howling at the burn he just gave Cora. Bless high-fived his buddies and then went back to the game. "Look at you. Your field is empty. You've got nothing. Now, it's my turn. I activate the power of the Pendulum scales and bring back Luster Pendulum and Samurai Cavalry. Then I Tune them both together and Synchro summon Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer!"

He conjured a giant dragonic warrior in scarlet-red armor, wielding a massive sword and shield. Wild, blond hair waved from the back of his head and crimson dragon wings spread from his back.

**ATK/2800**

"Now, my dear, I switch Dinoster Power back to attack position. This attack will finish you! Now, my Dracoslayers, attack and finish her so we can claim the bounty!"

"CORA! NO!" Krissa cried, covering her eyes with her hands.

An arcane circle, colored spring green and spreading flower petals appeared in front of Cora. The petals swirled in front of the circle and formed into a heavenly woman, wearing a colorful robe and had long, wavy, green hair that glowed.

"What's this?" Bless said, backing away.

Cora held the only card in her hand with two fingers and wagged it around. "You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? I had a feeling that your face-down card was going to be a trap. In case it did what it did, and believe me, it kicked my ass, I had this girl to back me up. Say hello to Goddess of Sweet Revenge!"

"What does she do?" Bless asked.

"When Goddess of Sweet Revenge is the only card in my hand and I have no cards on the field, her effect activates. I discard her from my hand and destroy everything you have on the field."

Ignister and Dinoster groaned and exploded, leaving Bless wide open for an attack. "Oh, bro, that's not cool!"

Cora stuck her finger up at him and stuck her tongue out. "No, it's not, babe. Because that's not all the Goddess can do. I'm allowed to special summon a monster from my deck. Here comes the one and only, Deep-Eyes White Dragon!"

Bless and his gang shielded their eyes from the blinding light that erupted behind Cora. A heavenly roar echoed from the light. The dragon finally appeared and hovered behind Cora.

"It's the card that took out Prince Clovis!" shouted one of Bless's boys.

"And it's gonna do the same to you," Cora teased. "Now, for each dragon in my Graveyard, Deep-Eyes White Dragon will inflict six-hundred points of damage to your Life Points. I count five, so you lose three-thousand points of damage."

"NO!" Bless cried.

He shielded himself with his arms as Deep-Eyes White Dragon devastated the field with a multi-directional laser attack. His Life Points went down to 1000. When the dust cleared, he gasped. He saw that Cora had bent over and pulled her jeans down. She laughed and started smacking her exposed derriere at him. Krissa had her eyes covered and her back turned so as not to see the degrading spectacle next to her.

"Haven't you any shame, girl?" she whined.

Deep-Eyes White Dragon wasn't all that pleased to see that either. It shook its head in disgust and snarled, not believing that it had been called by such a mannerless girl.

Bless still had once chance to survive this. He still had a Drowning Mirror Force card, which could send all her monsters back to her deck, leaving her wide open. He grinned and set it down.

"That's all I can do?" he said, feigning defeat. "I guess I lose."

Cora stood and pulled her jeans back up. "I draw. Oooh, Pot of Greed. This lets me draw two cards. I summon the Maiden with Eyes of Blue!"

The monster Cora summoned was a beautiful woman with, long, flowing, silvery hair that went all the way down her back to her ankles. Her eyes were the same shade of blue as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Next, I activate Monster Reborn and bring back a Blue-Eyes White Dragon from the Graveyard. The stage is set for the debut of my newest dragon. Maiden with Eyes of Blue is a Tuner monster, so I'll synch her up with my Blue-Eyes White Dragon. I summon Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon!"

The new monster Krissa gave Cora was a beast of awesome power and great beauty. Her eyes were a deeper shade of blue than a normal Blue-Eyes White Dragon and the body was glittering in silver-steel. Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon was certainly bigger than the Blue-Eyes and she had double-jointed legs. She spread her wings and let out a thunderous roar that also jingled like a million silver bells.

Cora stared at her new monster, then looked back at Krissa, who was as still as a statue. She had her hands clasped together and was smiling at Cora, who smiled back at her. She looked back at Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon and nodded to let it know it was time for battle."

"Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon, attack him directly!"

"Ha! You fell for my..."

"Don't even think about it! Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon prevents my dragons from being destroyed for two turns."

"No! That...that's not...that just isn't fair!"

"No bounty for you, boys. If you're all this city has to offer in order for Clovis to get his revenge, I'm sorry to say that check of his is gonna be cold. Now, boys, goodnight."

She blew them all a kiss and then both Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon and Deep-Eyes White Dragon attacked Bless directly. The blast shook the pier and set off a massive cloud of dust. Krissa cried out in horror but then Cora shielded her from the smoke. Bless was on the ground, moaning and groaning in defeat. His friends dropped their skateboards. They hopped on and rode away, leaving him behind. Eventually, he got up and, too, fled away from the pier. "This isn't over, Cora!" he shouted as he rode away. "Everybody in this city is after you! You better watch your back girl!"

Krissa still shivered in Cora's embrace. She looked up. "Is he...is he gone?" she asked.

"Yeah, but if what he says is true, we're not out of the woods yet." She smiled. "Not that it matters. A bounty for my defeat? Sounds kind of fun. And with you on board, I think this vacation got a lot more interesting." She held onto Krissa's face and giggled. "You're so pretty."

Krissa grinned back shyly. "I...thank you. I'm glad to see the Azure-Eyes...Mmph!"

Cora kissed her. And she kissed her long and good. Krissa closed her eyes and surrendered to the kiss. She wrapped her arms around Cora's neck.

"Ahem.."

Cora and Krissa let go of their embrace. Kasumi stood with her arms crossed over her chest. Amy stood with her, sniggering at the sight of Cora kissing another girl. "Ten hours without a phone call. No text. Not even a raven for goodness sakes. You had us all worried."

Cora smirked and sighed. "After standing butt naked in front of you guys last night, do you think I was in any rush to see you again? I was doing okay. I'm not a baby, geez."

Amy pursed her lips, trying to control herself. "So...who's your friend, Cora?"

"Oh...uh...Girls. I'd like to introduce you to Krissa. Krissa's a Priestess from the Temple of Saffani. She's my new friend."

Kasumi narrowed her eyes. "You two seem awfully close for being just friends. Also, what business does a Priestess have in a city such as Costa del Sol?"

Krissa held Cora close. "My business is the business of the Temple. It does not concern you."

"You are addressing a Princess of Uzume. I ask you again..."

"Kings don't even have power over the temple," Krissa interrupted her. "What makes you think a Princess is any different?"

Amy cleared her throat. "You look more like a university student on Spring Break than a Priestess."

Krissa let go of Cora. She reached into her shirt and took out a pendant with the symbol of the Dragon Goddess. "Satisfied?" she asked.

"You don't see that just anywhere," Amy agreed. "Cora must be important to you if you came all this way."

Krissa nodded. "She is. It's urgent that she speaks to the High Priestess, who is on her way to see her as we speak."

"Ah," Amy said. "So you've been sent by the Temple to do a little Recon?"

"Yes. Cora's not a hard girl to find. Then again, nobody is with this internet you Easterners cherish so much."

Kasumi was still not pleased to see Krissa. But she was curious about one thing. "I assume that strange silver Blue-Eyes was from you, correct?"

"It was from the High Priestess," said Krissa. "I was merely tasked with giving it to her and seeing if she was good enough to have it. Needless to say, Cora went and above and beyond our expectations. We must get out of here. A bounty has been placed on Cora."

"That's why it was so urgent to find you," Kasumi said sternly. "Every person with a dueling deck is looking for you, Cora. I saw a group of ten guys on their way here. They saw your dragons for miles. If I were you, I'd mosey on outta here."

Cora nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I don't have the energy for another Duel, much less ten of them. More if anyone finds out I'm here."

"Come on," said Kasumi. "My car is down that way."

Amy ran forward and grabbed Krissa by the hand. "Come on, you can sit next to me. There's so much I want to talk about."

"Oh," Krissa said as she was dragged away. "Of course."

Kasumi and Cora stood where they were and stared at Krissa. "You like this girl, don't you?" Kasumi asked. She was blinking rapidly.

"Huh? Uh, yeah? She's cool. Is everything okay, Kass?"

"No, I just thought..." Kasumi bit her lip and quickly forced a smile. "Nothing. Come on. Let's go back to the estate."


	18. A New Heir

* * *

**The Monk**

* * *

**October 16th**

**Year 18 4AOS**

* * *

"Why does it take them so long?" shivered a monk from the cathedral of Dovehollow. His thick brown robes did little to shield his skin from the biting cold of the Rift. It was nearly dawn and yet he was called out to perform the last rites on the dead woman who lay on the ground wrapped in white linen. A farmer from outside the city wall was chosen to bury her by a stone obelisk which was purchased by the only person in town who loved her.

It read:

_May the grace of the Eldari grant you safe passage to the Gardens._

"Written in the language of those pointy-eared devils!" the monk spat, not even opening his Tome to read the holy words, for he felt she was not worthy of a last rite. He then stared at the mountains on the other side of the bay where countless ships readied to dock and unload their cargo of goods for the town vendors. The sun was not up yet, shading the world in pastels of black, blue, and gray. The frigid waters of the bay looked like a mirror, reflecting the cold metallic blue hue of the sky above. The windows on the ships twinkled like the fading stars in the heavens above, dousing their light to go to sleep so they could continue their dance when the darkness returned.

"Why couldn't she have died in the summer!" the monk said brusquely.

"Why so much hate for the girl?" the farmer asked, stopping his work and looking up at the monk who warmed his hands by the flames of a weak fire on the ground surrounded by stones.

"Stop asking questions and dig!" snapped the monk. He rubbed his hands together. His sleeves flapping with each movement. "The sooner she's put six feet under, the sooner I can get back home to my hut and warm myself with potato soup by the fire."

He wiped snot off his crooked nose with his sleeve and then snorted to keep the mucus from running down his nostrils.

He tossed a stick into the flames hoping it would fuel the fire now turning into smiling red embers.

"How can you keep so still in these conditions?" the monk asked.

"The work keeps me warm," said the farmer. "And, I've got myself a nice brandy in my pocket."

"Oy, that'll warm you up," said the monk. "Care to give me some?"

"Would that I could, but you seem to be sick and I don't want to catch it."

The monk scoffed.

"No offense, sir," the farmer was getting deeper into his pit. "But with the plague from that monster spreading around these parts it's best to remain wary."

"Oh, do hurry up!"

"Righto."

The farmer's pace quickened. A fierce wind blew from the east. The linen wrapping over the corpse flipped over revealing the face of a young woman with long ebony hair. Her face, once the rich shade of caramel, was as white as the snow-capped mountains in the distance and her lips were turning a shade of blue. Something was glimmering around her neck.

"Curses!" shivered the farmer. "Seems like Naria, has awoken in a bad mood this morning!"

The monk's face went beet red when the farmer mentioned the ice goddess. His anger and frustration seemed to warm his core. He raised his head high and said: "I am a believer in Yeyu, good sir! Do not speak of your pagan gods to me."

"Well, no disrespect, but you're in Alliance territory. We're allowed to worship the goddesses here. The baron of Dovehollow may be in your Covenant, but the law still applies. We are free to worship our Ladies."

"What's this?" the monk said, spotting the twinkle on the woman's neck. He slithered closer over her and saw a cord of black with a base of gold that held a diamond in the shape of a star. He ripped the precious item from her neck.

"Robbing from the dead is a damnable act, sir," the farmer commented when he saw this.

"Not so when the said person is damned," the monk said, stuffing the necklace into his pocket. There was a roar in the distance.

"Dragons!" the monk cried out in shock. The monsters were flying over the lake hunting for food.

"They're just Gray Wings," said the farmer. "Unless you oink or go 'moo' they won't hurt you."

"I thought the baron hired hunters to kill those winged devils!" said the monk.

"Again, you forget this is alliance territory," said the farmer. "And there is a Summoner of Dragons in our lands now. Ever since she came, the kings of Termnnia created laws that forbids the slaying of dragons unless they prove a menace to the town. It's also a way to show that our people still have more power than your Covenant."

The monk scoffed. "And do they not take your livestock?"

"We have plenty of them," said the farmer. "Besides they only take their fill and leave us, humans, alone. You should consider yourself lucky. Not every town on the continent can claim they have dragons flying about the countryside."

He heard a horn coming from the road. He looked to the east and spotted a caravan heading straight towards the town.

"Can it be?" the monk said, taking a spyglass out of his rucksack. He peered through it and saw Black Luster Soldiers and Buster Bladers. Hundreds of them.

The monk then noticed an Eldori (Toon folk) atop a black stallion armored in chainmail. The man had spiked hair - red, black, and blond with pointed, crooked locks with some hair shaped as lightning bolts. He was donning blackened steel armor with a red cape that faded into black near the top. A golden pyramid hung around his neck.

"Ah," said the monk. "Master Yu-Gi-Oh!"

A blond Eldori rode towards the monk. The reins jingled with each movement.

"Ey," he said with a thick accent. "Do ya mind movin' dat dere cart outta da way. We need t'get through."

"Ser Joey Wheeler!" The farmer gasped and got out of the pit and ran to his cart. He pushed it out of the road to let the large traveling party through.

"Thanks," Joey said, tossing the farmer a copper half-penny. Enough for a loaf of bread for supper. He put his thumb and index finger in his mouth to whistle and then waved that it was all clear.

"Sheesh," Joey said, spotting the dead woman. "What happened?"

The monk's face brightened. He said to Joey: "An undead monster known as the Plaguespreadder has appeared after the battle that took place in the hills over yonder. A lot of the baron's dead still lay there after Horak's Eve Massacre and he hasn't made any effort in retrieving them. Fool that he is. He should know undead monsters thrive on the dead of war. Is that why you are here?"

"You bet," said Joey. "We've got some butt-kickin' monster hunters in our group."

The monk bowed when Yami passed by. Yami said nothing and moved on. A Black Luster Soldier in white was walking alongside him. Black Luster Soldier-Envoy of the Evening Twilight it was called.

"Well, it's to the inn with me," Joey said getting a firm grasp on the reins. "Give the girl my prayers," he said to them one last time before riding away.

The monk had a wide grin on his face. He reached for a torch in his rucksack and tossed it at the farmer.

"What is this?"

"Burn the body and bag the head. Turn it to the baron when you've completed your task."

"What!"

"She was a sinner."

"On what grounds?" the farmer asked.

"Just cut off her head and burn the body now! You will be rewarded for this task."

He tossed the farmer a sack of silver coins then sped after Yami.

The farmer hesitantly went for his cart and took out his bastard sword. He looked down at the beautiful corpse.

"Sorry milady," he said before performing the deed.

* * *

** Yami **

* * *

Daylight slowly crept over the thick gray clouds and bathed the people of Dovehollow with just a touch of warmth, though it still could not help them from the cold winds that harassed the town. The wooden huts' supports began to moan and creak and heaps of straw from their roofs flew away. Yami Yugi stood atop a slope, which overlooked a modest weapon's shop. The sign displayed a wooden knight slaying a red dragon with letters that read: Honest Kurgaz's Heavy Hitters: Weapons for Heroes!

The owner was a dwarf with wiry black hair and a bushy beard braided with gold bands. He hobbled with a crutch for he was injured during in a battle when the goblins from the caves formed a rebellion against the surface dwellers. He was nice and warm in his shop, Yami could see him from the large glass window on the side of the shop. He could see various armors donned by wooden mannequins and well-forged weapons were displayed on the wall. Next to the shop was the workshop where the weapons were made. It was in a deck with a straw roof. Iron grills protected the forge so devious children wouldn't sneak in and steal tools or products. Painted shields hung from the grills and the banner of the town, torn and ashy from the soot, hung in front of the workbench where the weapons would be decorated with gold and gems.

Someone was working there. A young woman dressed in a hooded bodice and a tan skirt. An ashy and ripped white apron was wrapped around her thin waist. She was an Eldori. Her pale skin covered in soot, with scars and burns on her arms and legs. Her hair was long and bright yellow, jagged and messy. She had pointed locks similar to Yugi's.

Jack Atlas stood to Yami's left while the Envoy of the Twilight towered over both of them to the right.

Jack groaned impatiently. "Is this who we came all the way out here for?" he asked. "Some blacksmith?"

Yami nodded.

"We could have gotten here sooner you know. My Red Dragon Archfiend is one of the fastest dragons in the land."

"And there are dragon hunters around here," said The Envoy of the Twilight. "Looking for you, fool! They almost killed your dragon with their Cuirasses in the Gray Hills. And to fly high enough so they don't find us is dangerous. There is no oxygen up there and it's colder than winter."

"It is safer for us and your dragon if we do not fly," said Yami.

"Whatever you say, Master," said Jack, adjusting his fur-trimmed white coat. "Pick her up and let's get out of here. Zane and the others need me in Akuuda. If you want Prince Marcel secured, I should make haste while the going's good."

"Fly safely, Jack," said Yami. "And thank you for aiding Avi to the temple safely. You will be greatly rewarded when you aid Marcel with the Naralians in Akuuda. Safaani grant you safe passage, my friend."

Jack performed a meager bow. "Master," he said. He then turned and walked away.

"You like this woman," Téa said, slowly walking towards her friend. "You've been watching her since we got here." She handed him a tin can of hot soup from the inn. The steam was dancing in the cold air.

Yami waved a hand, refusing it.

Téa shrugged and drank it herself. "Is that who we came here for?"

Yami said nothing and nodded. Joey climbed up the dirt path towards them. He, too, was carrying a tin can of hot soup with a cloth to shield his hands from the heat. "Dat's her," he said.

"I know," said Yami.

"You better break it to her gently, pal." Joey blew on the soup to cool it down. "Remember that woman who was getting buried at the entrance to the town. Well, turns out your girl knew her before she caught the plague."

"Friend?" Yami asked.

Joey nodded. "Yeah. Her only friend. Are ya going to talk to her, Yuge, or not?"

"This won't be easy," said Yami. "But I'll see what I can do."

He gathered his thoughts, put his emotions in order with a deep gasp of cold air and marched toward the shop. The Envoy of the Twilight followed him. White geese honked at his heels as they waddled by. A large black-spotted pig snorted while sniffing the dirt road for something to eat.

As he walked down the muddy dirt path, a group of knights in steel plate and dark green surcoats marched towards the smithy.

"Crusaders," said Tristan, watching the knights as he leaned from a wooden railing.

"What are dey doin' here?" Joey asked.

"They're on their way to Sobek," said Tristan. "The Patriarch of the Covenant announced a holy war to take Sobek where the prophet Argon Sinbane was said to have been given the pages of the White-Gold Tome from Yeyu himself in the Mountain of the Pharaohs. They say it's to bring glory back to the Church but we all know it's to fill their pockets. Sobek is the continent of gold."

"It has often been called the biggest prize in Keya," said Duke, shivering terribly. "Gold mines that go on for miles and miles without stopping. Sorcerers who are gifted in the art of transmutation. They can turn a chunk of rock into a giant nugget of gold. That's why they're always rolling in coin. More than a hundred foolish kings tried conquering it, but they all failed. Dwarves, Elves, Men, even Nymphs have tried to take Sobek from the Rjel."

"They're never gonna win dat!" said Joey. "The Rjel are a people who have never been conquered. What is da Covenant thinking?"

"Well, the Covenant has a new weapon now," said Tristan. He reached under his cloak and took out a black compact carbine. "With these babies in their ranks, the Rjel might have met their match. All that fancy swordplay will be no match against the guns and airships of the covenant."

"I sure hope you're wrong," said Joey. "Da last thing we need is da Covenant wit more gold in dere pockets."

Meanwhile, Yami waited for the Crusaders to complete their business.

"You there, girl!" shouted the lead knight. "We need our weapons sharpened and our horses fitted. We can pay you three gold Star Chips for the work."

"Leave your weapons there," the blacksmith said softly.

"I see you're gifted in magic as well," said another knight. "Enchant our blades. I can pay you with a garnet."

The girl nodded. "It will be done, my lord."

The knights laughed, not believing they were getting mastercraft upgrades for so cheap. The monk from before arrived. He watched Yami, the crusaders, and the girl carefully. The crusaders left the forge and arrogantly trooped to the inn. Yami grinned while he stepped into the workshop. The girl stared at the Black Luster Soldier nervously.

"Leave us," Yami said to the Envoy of the Twilight. The Black Luster Soldier bowed and left." Yeyunists," Yami chuckled. "Magic to them is so evil, but it becomes so benevolent when it enchants their weapons and armor."

The girl stared at Yami for a few seconds. "Master Yu-Gi-Oh," she said, then she went back to work hammering a horseshoe.

"You know who I am?"

"Yes, but you're much bigger than your pictures."

"You have magazines here?"

The girl continued hammering. "Traders from Domino pass through here from time to time. They bring radios, cooling machines, even guns to those who can afford them. I've seen you Duel in the Battle City Tournament when I was a little girl."

"How did you do that?" Yami asked.

"My master, Kurgaz, he owned a television a long time ago. It broke and our generator was soon outlawed by the baron."

"Nice to see I'm well known here," said Yami. "As said, three gold Star Chips is unfairly light for work from a master crafter."

He examined the weapons on display. Their handles were exquisitely crafted with engraved gold. The blades even had gold veins swirling about the surface. Some had gems inlaid into them.

"This is some of the best work I've ever seen," said Yami. "What is your name?"

"Yumeko," the blacksmith replied quickly.

"Why do they not pay you well, Yumeko?"

"My lord," the girl said, hammering a second horseshoe to its proper size, "Those from the Church view me as a lesser being. Still, the pay is good. I don't mind."

"We can pay you right," said Yami. "We've got the coin and chips for your services. We've got cards too if that is what you desire as payment."

"Coin and chips will suffice. I have the only card I need if things go bad for me," Yumeko said this sternly, for she wanted to be left alone.

Yami saw a deck case clinging to her belt. It was clear so he could see the card in the front.

"Why has no one called you out on that monster?" Yami asked.

The girl stopped and looked at him impatiently. Yami knew, deep down, that the girl did not want to talk. She was a busy person and she wanted to get back to work, but the card in her deck was just too rare to be ignored.

"That's the Legendary Exodia Incarnate," said Yami. "Only five of them have ever been made. How is it that you came about one?"

"My mother gave it to me."

"Is she here?"

"No, my lord. When I was five she got on her horse and rode away. I never saw her again but…"

"You still wait for her to come back, don't you?" Yami pressed forward. Yumeko quickly threw the horseshoe into a pile and got to work on another one before he got any closer. Yami could read her like a book. Her movements gave him a clear sign that she wanted her personal space.

"I wait for her every day," she said after a long silence. "I stand by that lamp post at the fountain where she said to wait for her. I did so every day for the past seventeen years. I'd always go home crying. If it wasn't for my master, I would be homeless. Then, one day, I found the card and the five pieces of the Forbidden One on my front door. Everyone says it couldn't have been from her. But it had to be."

"What makes you think that?"

"Exodia was her favorite monster. She always dreamed of the day she and I could use one. She had only one piece. The Head. I know the Incarnate card was from her because there is a lipstick stain on the front of the headpiece. Mother was always so protective and attached to that card. She kissed it one night and marked it by accident, but she didn't care because she never rubbed it off."

"What do you remember about your mother?" Yami asked.

"Nothing, save that she had curled hair black like a Red-Eyes. And she had a sweet scent."

"Strawberries?" Yami asked.

The girl paused. She slowly turned her head. "Yes. How did you know?"

"Because I knew your mother, Yumeko."

Yami looked at her waiting for a response. She glared at him. Yami stood his ground. He could clearly see she was not pleased. In fact, she was angry. Her face told him everything. Every twitch and hard breath that came out of her pink lips. He knew that Yumeko probably recognized what he was going to tell her.

"I sent you those cards. Not, Yvonne. The Head of the Forbidden one is hers, she gave it to me the night we…ahem. She didn't want to, but I did not force myself onto her. The time just wasn't right what with Prince Yuri being born. She and I talked about raising a child when all was said and done. But, a revelation of my past shattered what we had and she grew distant from me over the years until she left. What I'm trying to say is…I am your father, Yumeko."

Yumeko stopped moving. Her face turned pale as the snow.

"I am sorry it took me until now to know you were mine. We were originally en route to Lorin to meet with Avi, but I wished to come here to see you. I come to offer my apologies and seek your forgiveness."

Yami bowed.

Yumeko stared at him. She shook her head and went back to work. Yami raised himself back up.

"Daughter,"

"Yumeko!"

Yami swallowed. "Yumeko, I understand you are a Duelist."

"What of it?"

"I can make you better to make up for all the years I was not there for you. And I present you with this."

He reached into his cape and took out a roll of parchment.

"It's the deed to my castle on the Storm Coasts. It's yours now. One hundred acres. A hundred knights. A village with good farmers. Livestock and crops. And my collection of Duel Monsters cards. Trade them. Keep them. Do whatever you want with them. And I will send you to Duelist Academy. I will pay for your education."

"Keep your castle." Yumeko hammered the horseshoe even harder. "And I don't want to be a Duelist. I am happy working the forge."

"Yumeko, you will not see me again. If you don't take this opportunity…"

"What? You're going to send Lady Téa to bore me with her friendship speeches?"

Yami pretended he did not hear that. "If there is anything you wish of me, take it now."

"I don't want anything from you Master Yu-Gi-Oh. Complete your business and leave me alone."

"Then I am sorry for troubling you," Yami bowed and paced away. "May the Goddesses watch over you."

"They have abandoned me, my lord. They can kiss my ass."

Yami got on his horse. "I am sorry about your friend. And I am sorry for not being there for you."

"It's too late for that," said Yumeko. "More than twenty years too late. If you happen to run into my mother out there, tell her I'm still waiting. That is the only favor I will ask of you."

Yami smirked and nodded. "If she does not wallop you for denying my offer first. I will remain in town to take care of the Plaguespreadder. I hope you reconsider."

"Nothing will change my mind, my lord," said Yumeko. "I am sorry."

"Well, if you should change your mind, go south to Domino City. I shall remain there for a few months. After that, I will be gone."

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

Krissa waited in a courtyard surrounded by the towering walls of the building with an opening to let the sunlight in. The walls were covered with thick layers of dark green vines with only patches of cream from the limestones. Each window over the courtyard had a red awning and the umbrellas were colored red as well. Gardens of small pine trees, bushes, and hedges splashed red with roses surrounded the white tables. It was a battle for supremacy for the colors, with the dark green foilage beating the red.

Finally, Cora had arrived. She waved when she saw Krissa sitting beside a table next to the rose hedges. There was a small gold and black plaque that said only one rose per person could be taken. Cora set the food down and gave Krissa a quick kiss before sitting down.

"That's what you wanted?" she asked. "Bacon club with burnt toast."

"I can't thank you enough for this," Krissa said, taking a bite into her sandwich. She looked at Cora and said: "Aren't you going to eat?"

Cora chuckled and cleaned the crumbs off Krissa's lips with a burgundy handkerchief. "I'll eat later. Kasumi and the girls shall be arriving soon. We're gonna play a few games at the Kaiba Dome and then...What?"

"I want you to eat," Krissa demanded, her nose up in the air as she ignored Cora.

"Krissa..." Cora began.

Krissa wagged her finger. "Don't say another word until you eat. I mean it now."

Cora sighed and took out the second sandwich from the bag. "How long since you have eaten?"

"Not since I got here," Krissa answered, taking out a fry from the bag. "I started selling flowers in the King's District. But so far, all I made were a few silvers. Not enough to cook me a decent meal. Such a shame. That kitchen in my hotel is the wet dream of a culinary chef."

"I don't understand. You've completed your mission. You gave me Azure-Eyes and it has served me beautifully. What more can you do? Can't you go back to the Temple?"

Krissa twiddled her thumbs as she held the sandwich. "It's a little more complicated than that."

Cora sighed heavily. "I love you. But if you want this to work you have to be honest with me, Krissa. I let you have this place at my expense. So I expect some honest answers. I need to know the truth. Did the Temple of Safaani really send you?"

Krissa's lip twitched. "Yes...and no."

"Krissa..."

"Please, Cora. There was a lot I wasn't expecting out of this mission. So many things happened that I could not comprehend."

"Like what?"

"First of all this thing between you and me. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever fall in love with a woman as amazing as you. When I first saw you, I felt as if a thousand butterflies were flying around in my stomach. Such beauty. And your skills in Duel Monsters. You're not afraid of anything. You stand up for those you love and let no one stand in your way. How could I help but not feel this way? Did you feel something similar when you first noticed me."

Cora scoffed and shrugged. "Nothing poetic. I just saw a hottie and went after her."

Krissa laughed. "You ass."

Cora took her hand and kissed it. "Not to say I don't appreciate what we've become in the last few days I've known you. I won't lie I felt a sort of _click_ when I saw your pretty blue eyes looking at me from over that book. A feeling that I just had to know you."

"And it happened so fast."

"Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't," Cora shrugged again. "Sometimes relationships need building. But I'm not a patient person."

Krissa giggled and bit into her sandwich. "No, Cora Kaiba. You're not." She leaned forward and kissed Cora.

"Disgusting," someone said behind them.

Both girls turned and saw a man dressed in bright red robes sashed with a crimson and gold stole. The flaming eye of Yeyu was emblazoned in gold thread on his chest. He was surrounded on either side by two monks in dark brown robes and white rope belts. They each bore morningstars as weapons, ready to crush the skulls of anyone who attempted to hurt their master, who was a Red Priest, one of the highest-ranking members of the Covenant of Yeyu's hierarchy. These were the men that got things done in the name of the Patriarch and they did not care if they had to get their hands dirty to do it.

"What a dark time we live in," he said. "Children summon monsters for sport. A bastard boy is to be crowned High King. Dragons are returning in the West. And woman kisses woman. Shameful. Truly shameful."

The two men took bells, which hung from the necks and rang them. "Sinners," the crooned and rang the bell. "Sinners." They rang the bell again. "Sinners."

"What the hell do you want?"

"Your salvation, child," said the Red Priest. "Your time is about to end. Soon, a great banner will soar over these lands, glowing brightly like the sun. When that banner flies, you and your kind will be purged of this world."

* * *

**Yumeko**

* * *

She scoured the forest not finding a single sign of her father or his company. For a convoy so big, they sure knew how to make themselves scarce. Sure enough, she found them trekking back towards her town coming out of the mist. The head of the Plaguespreadder Zombie was clinging to Joey Wheeler's saddle with a bronze hook. It was just as she feared. She was too late to tell them so they could possibly change course and avoid going back into town.

Yami, Joey, and Tristan rode from the mists, crossing a bridge over the River Greene to greet Yumeko.

"I thought your mind was made up," said Yami.

Yumeko looked at her surroundings while mustering the courage to tell Yami what she had done. She swallowed and said: "I killed a man."

Yami smirked at this remark. "Haven't we all?" he said. He held out a gloved hand, beckoning her to come forward. "It's all right."

"No," said Yumeko. "The man I killed was a monk from the Priory of the Covenant. He was mocking me for not going with you. He revealed that it was he who killed my friend. She and I were secretly worshipping Norman the Conqueror. That's an act punishable by death. When he threatened to tell the Baron, I stuck a hot blade in his belly and fled."

"Uh oh," said Tristan.

"If dat's the case we betta turn 'round, Yug," said Joey. "Da Covenant is gonna be swarmin' all over dis place lookin' fer her."

"The farther north we go, the closer to the Covenant we will be," Yami agreed.

"What about our bounty?" Tristan asked, jerking his thumb at the Plaguespreadder Zombie's head.

"There are more important things now," said Yami. "What difference does it make if they get the head? The monster is dead now; it will trouble them no more."

"But we're talking about two-thousand Star Chips here," Tristan insisted.

"My daughter is in mortal danger, and all you care about is money, Tristan?" Yami said looking back at him.

"There's plenty o' money in da royal coffers," said Joey.

Tristan groaned. "Yeah, but it's not spending money."

"We got what we came for," said Yami. "My daughter. This bounty was your idea and it was nothing more than a waste of time. We march back to White Harbor now. Yumeko must be prepared for the academy."

Yumeko let out a heavy breath. "If I do go to Duelist Academy, will my mother find me?"

Yami formed a wan smile. "I cannot promise you that, Yumeko, for Yvonne, is a hard woman to understand. But, you will have more success if you go to the academy and make a name for yourself."

"Yeah, dat's right," said Joey. "You're da daughter of Yugi Muto, da best Duelist in da world. Dat already makes you a star, Yumeko. Plus, wit dat Exodia card in your deck, you'd be unstoppable."

"Only if she takes the name of Muto," said Tristan. "There's still hate for Yugi in your heart, I can feel it."

Yumeko blushed, for Tristan read her like the page of a child's picture book. "I will accept it. Not for your sake, but for my mother's."

"I don't care," said Yami. "What matters is that you're going to be taken care of."

"Duelist Academy ain't no picnic, Yuge," said Joey. "You sure she's ready?"

"There's a preparatory school in Domino she'll have to go to," said Yami. "Rosenkruz. We must enroll you there at once."

Tristan cringed when he heard the name. "That place is pretty pricey, Yugi. What about finances?"

Yami smiled. "Leave that to me."


	19. Hero's Day

** Yumeko **

* * *

"Welcome to Eredas, Yumeko," Yami announced once they entered the borders of the city-state. There were wooden houses, shops, inns, farmlands and windmills built along a wide river known as the Silver Fork. This was the last Yumeko would see of the traditional Termnnian ways, for across the river was a giant cliff with oversized drain pipes spewing unused water into the river. And standing high on top of the cliff were scores of tall buildings of glass and steel.

"Is that Domino City?" Yumeko said in wonder.

"No, it's too small," Tristan replied as he rode next to her.

"We're not going in there just yet," said Yami. "As one of the chief advisors to the King, Seto Kaiba claims that no one is allowed into the city-state without getting their Dueling decks registered."

"Whatever for?" Yumeko asked, finding the new law ridiculous.

"To keep the Covenant at bay," said Yami. "There has been an influx of refugees from Naralia and even Balodrum that have poured down here to seek new lives. But a large number of them have caused mischief and thanks to some spineless senators and noblemen, they started to do what they please. They force Yeyunism on our people, sometimes through violence. Patrols of thugs from the Church Militant have attacked Duelists, non-humans, and Mages. And some have petitioned to silence our faith in the Goddesses."

Yumeko scoffed. "What you deserve for letting those savages through your gates and into your homes. What has been done about the problem?"

Joey laughed. "Ah, don't worry. The Covenant has been neutered, to say the least, thanks in part to the vigilante known as the Cyber Knight and his companions. He's exposed a lot of corruption over the past few months regarding their organizations. They even co-conspired with a criminal gang to kidnap Princess Alexis Rhodes last month. Ever since that flim-flam, many of their privileges have been canceled."

"So I take it the city is safer?" Yumeko asked.

"You better believe it," said Yami. "For, now let's get you settled in for the night. I have a lot of work to do to get you into the city, Yumeko."

"I can't just go in?" Yumeko asked.

"Ya can't," said Joey. "Don't' cha remember? Ya need t'get yer duelin' deck registered to be a citizen."

"And that requires a lot of work?" Yumeko raised an eyebrow. "This is so stupid."

"It's Seto Kaiba," said Duke with a shrug of his shoulders. "Everything he does is over-the-top and stupid. But it works. And it keeps those Covenant goons out of our city so our people can play Duel Monsters in peace."

"Just remain here, young lady!" Yami ordered. "I said I will take care of things. Understand!"

"Damn," said Joey. "You've been together fer a short time and already yer actin' like a dad, Yug."

"He is not my father," said Yumeko. "I'm only going to this stupid academy to make a name for myself and find my mother."

"You sound and act so much like her," Yami said with a smile. "Enroth, watch over my daughter while I'm gone."

"Yes, My Lord," said the Black Luster Soldier-Envoy of the Twilight.

"Yumeko," Yami said. She didn't answer and Yami rode away leaving Yumeko with his friends and the army of Black Luster Soldiers and Buster Bladers.

"Ya shouldn't be so hard on him, Yumeko," said Joey. "He came a long way trying to find you."

"I know, it sucks that it took him so many years to do so."

"Hey, that's not fair!" said Tristan, grasping the reins of his horse in fury. "There was a lot of shit going on in our lives. Our world has been in danger for years and years. Yugi is a patriot and a warrior. He loves this world you understand that!"

Yumeko scoffed and turned her head to look away because she hated being lectured.

"If it wasn't for your father; you, us, even your mother would be dead now! Is that what you want?"

Yumeko scoffed again.

"I can't believe a selfish brat like you is the offspring of great people like Yugi and Yvonne!" snapped Tristan.

"You know nothing of my mother," said Yumeko.

"I know more about her than you!" Tristan shouted, going red in the face. "I fought alongside her. I was at the war table with her. Yvonne was one of the best sorceresses I've ever seen!"

"You knew…"

"Yeah! I did! And you're going to get nothing more from me!" Tristan kicked his steed and he galloped down the road.

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

It was day five of the Divine Week, and the city's trees were being decorated with white string lights, and lanterns with glowing, white moths flying inside behind orange glass. The Lanterns of Liberty they were called, a symbol of Prince Yuri's triumph over Anubis the Dark Lord of the Dead, freeing Termnnia from his vileness after a thousand years of war against him and his Orcs.

"They're so pretty," Krissa said, clinging onto Cora's arm as they walked the central courtyard of the mall.

"What's all this stuff mean?" Cora asked. "As much as I'd like to say I know about this tradition, I'm afraid I don't."

"Ah, that's right," said Nixie. "Cora has no memory of anything before she got to Domino."

"A Girl from Nowhere," giggled Amy. "Just like Avi out west. Hey, you don't suppose..."

"If Cora was a Summoner of Dragons, we would have seen her do it by now," Brandy interrupted. "Goddesses help us if she is. The last thing I want is for a girl like Cora to be summoning those beasts."

Cora scoffed, smelling the sweet smell of different foods in the food court where they would go eat before shopping for their dresses. "You don't think I would make a good Summoner, Brandy?"

"Heavens no," she answered. "We would all be in big trouble."

They all laughed. "What happened to M?" Kasumi asked. "The week is almost over."

"He can't make it after all," Nixie replied sadly. "His family was called to the frontlines in Emboldor to protect the gates against Prince Hector. Did you guys hear what he did to poor Princess Rose?"

"I sure did," Nixie said in disgust. "The Frog Princess and I are friends, so this hits me really hard. He just showed up to her father's castle, kicked him out, and declared Rose his bride. And that little brat is not a day over thirteen!"

"He is of the legal age to marry," said Amy. "Those Westerners are so medieval."

Kasumi sighed. "We can't do anything for her now. Hopefully, Allied forces will contend with the Confederacy going on over there really soon." She pointed at the stars they were putting on the center of the glass ceiling. "See that Cora?"

Cora looked up at the mighty star made of thousands of diamonds being hung. A mage was using telekinesis to lift it towards the hook it would hang from. "Oh, uh-huh," Cora answered.

"That decoration represents the gateway to the Halls of Andu the All-Powerful. A week before Yuri was conceived by his parents, the heavens opened and rocked the world with a great and powerful song. The Goddesses themselves were announcing the coming of our great hero. It was foretold that something amazing was going to happen, for not long before the Song, a Duel Monster, known as the Winged Egg of New Life, started to fly across the sky like a shooting star."

"I've heard of that creature," said Krissa. "It foretells the birth of children."

"Very important children, my friend," Kasumi added. "Yuri was not the only hero born that year. We had the likes of Prince Michael, Zane Truesdale, Lady Avi, Jaden Yuki the HERO of the Three Rivers, and Princess Alexis Rhodes to name a few." She laughed. "I guess it just wasn't a good year for Anubis."

"Of course," said Amy. "The Goddesses grew tired of the malice of Anubis and finally took action."

Cora scoffed. "Yeah, it only took 'em a thousand years."

"Don't blaspheme!" Krissa snapped. "I will not tolerate that, Cora."

They found a place to sit by a 100-yard pool with fountains shooting water hundreds of feet high. Bushes with white flowers glowing and ringing softly were on the other side of a black rail by their booth. Cora picked one off the bush and tucked it behind Krissa's ear before she kissed her. Their friends hooted at the sight and clapped. Once they got settled, Kasumi and Brandy went to order their lunch.

"What are you going to do with Krissa when the Divine Week is over?" Amy asked. "I mean, it's not like Seto Kaiba is going to let her live with you or something."

"No, he won't," Cora agreed, petting Krissa's hair. "This is going to be tough, that's for sure. But I'll figure something out."

Krissa sighed. "I don't want to be a burden, Cora. You don't have to do anything for me."

Nixie bobbed her head up and down as she tapped the table. "Hmm. You know Cora, I know it's none of my business, but I could have sworn you had a thing for Kasumi."

Amy nodded. "So did I. The way you looked at her at school, we thought..."

Cora held up her hand.

"You loved Princess Kasumi, Cora?" Krissa asked.

Cora kissed the top of her head. "I had a crush on her. I wanted something to happen between us, but that was all over the moment I found out she was getting married to Jack Ganon. It wasn't meant to be and I moved on. No need to dwindle on it any longer."

"She's right," said Amy. "So, uh, what was the deal with that Priest?"

Cora rolled her eyes. "Forget him. He's just some nutcase who thinks he can turn us over to his faith."

"What was all that talk about a banner of light?" Nixie wondered.

Krissa shrunk in her seat, feeling Cora's eyes glare at her. "You told them?" Cora asked.

"I had to let them know," said Krissa. "This affects all of us after all. If the Covenant has something planned, I think we should all know about it, don't you think. Not to mention, you're the most sought after person in the city what with the bounty on your head. People are going to know who the rest of us are, too."

"And word of mouth is a powerful tool for the Covenant," Nixie said adjusting herself in her seat. "We need to keep an eye out on them." She stretched her neck to get a view of the back of a Celtic Guardian across the pond. "Say, Cora, there's an arena over there. Want to play?"

Cora, never wanting to pass up on a Duel, turned to look at the arena. "No way! Of course, I do. Look at those guys. All losers. I think we can take them on."

"Oh? What about the food?" Krissa asked.

"We'll be back before it's time to eat," said Nixie.

Not wanting to be left alone, Amy and Krissa followed them. They were recognized at once by all the players there, on the count of the bounty Prince Clovis placed on Cora. They didn't have to wait very long to find opponents, for the moment the two girls arrived at the arena to play, a whole horde of challengers came their way. Cora was set to play against a purple-haired playboy who had a large harem of girls following him. They cheered and squealed as he posed for pictures in front of the arena. His hair was long and well-kept. A multitude of bangs almost concealed his eyes of infinite green. He sported very noble attire colored purple with gold and silver threads and embellishments.

Beltzer was his name, Cora knew that immediately, for his harem kept calling out his name. He was a good-looking fellow, but not one Cora would swoon over and worship even if she was into men. She hated harems. They were disgusting in her eyes and she thought that any girl stupid enough to be part of one for whatever reason was an absolute fool. Nothing would please her more than to put this dog in his place.

However, there were still a few Duelists battling so they had to wait for their turns. Cora and Nixie sat by a black table beside the arenas. They took huge binders full of cards out of her backpacks, but Cora's was thicker, making Nixie wrinkle her nose in frustration.

Cora looked at her and tapped her finger on her binder. "Hey, at least your boobs and your butt are bigger than mine."

Nixie groaned and rolled her eyes. "Wow, Cora, you are such a pervert. Sometimes I feel like you're a creepy old man in a young woman's body. I have to use the ladies' room. Be right back." She ran off, leaving Cora alone.

Not long after she left, a very stout young man in his very late twenties with a glasses and a thick lisp approached Cora. "Hey there," he said. "You got anything for trades?"

A pungent smell came off his body. Cora tried her best not to heave, but the lad was being rather nice so she had to return his kindness back. "Yeah," she answered.

His eyes widened and he smiled. "Cool, can I see?"

"Uh, okay," Cora said, handing him her binder. "Is there anything in specific that you're looking for, my friend?"

The man sat down as he took the binder. "Oh no, not really, I'm just looking for some really cool stuff."

He set the binder down and opened it. The shiny cards inside reflected the light of the shop so brilliantly, that it illuminated the man's face. Cora raised an eyebrow at his sudden over-the-top expression, her eyes awkwardly darted from left to right. It was as though the man had opened a chest and found a hidden and forgotten treasure.

"Oh, Goddesses!" he cried out. "A gold rare Stellarknight Delteros!"

He started ripping the card out of its place in the binder. Cora looked at him in frustration. He did not receive permission to take the card out of its sleeve. But before she could begin scorning him, the man gasped, spotting another rare card.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Ultimate rare Brightness of the Yang Zing!" He took that card out as well and kept going. "Secret rare Serpent Night Dragon!" He looked like he was about to cry. "I can't believe you have this one! Firewall Dragon Darkfluid!" He took that card out too. "Oh, man! Time Thief Redoer, cool! I want this one!"

"Hey, dude. Stop," Cora begged.

"Oh! Duel Link Dragon; he's one of the tournament prize cards." He turned the page. "Ruin, Angel of Oblivion! I've been looking everywhere for her! She'll make a great addition to my Female Deck! OH! All-Eyes Phantom Dragon!" He took both cards out. "OH! Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon!"

"Uh, that's not for trades! My friend gave that to me!" stuttered Cora to deaf ears. The man did not listen.

"OH! I don't believe it! Odd-Eyes Clear Wing Dragon! A whole playset!" He gasped. "And All-Eyes Phantom Dragon, too! OH! OH! OH! Ten Thousand Dragon! Amazing!"

He took the cards out of their sleeves. Cora prayed the guy didn't have greasy fingers or the value of the card would be ruined.

"Oh! Oooh man! Ultimate rare Lightning Chidori!" He let out a wheeze of shock. "Oh man! Oh man! Oh... A ghost rare Star Eater!"

He placed both hands to the side of his head with a loud slap and took it out as well. He took the card out and added it to his pile of prizes.

"A Chaos Emperor Dragon that is so cool! There are only a few of these in existence!"

"Uh no," said Cora. "He's for display only! Stop it! Don't take him out!"

The man did not listen. He took Chaos Emperor out of its sleeve and added it to the pile of rare cards he wanted from Cora.

"He's not for trades," Cora almost yelled, her voice turning rather stern.

"Oh, but there must be something you want for...OH! Nekroz of Unicore! Nekroz of Gungir! Nekroz of Decisive Armor! Oh man! You have all the Nekroz cards! Oh, cool! The new Heiratic Sun Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis, that is so amazing! You should really sleeve this one! Oh, I can't believe this, an ultimate rare Dark Magician Girl in her new card art; a whole playset of them!"

He gasped as though all the air escaped from his lungs. "Herald of Ultimateness in Ghost Rare and Ultimate Rare. You got entire playsets of them!"

Cora did not know what to do. Thankfully, the man had calmed down. He reached under the table and handed Cora a tin full of cards. "Here, these are all my trades, take anything you want."

"Uh, okay?" Cora set the tin down and opened it. There were a lot of cards inside of it, but they were all common. Cora cringed as he flipped through them all. "Uh, do you have any foils on you. Anything good at all?"

"Sorry, no," said the man. "I'm not so lucky when it comes to getting rares. But you can sell any of those cards for a good price."

"That's fine," said Cora. "Do you have any gold on you? Money? Royal Notes?"

"Nope."

"Get the fuck out," Cora said, pointing at the exit and sliding the tin of worthless commons back to the man.

The young man walked away, saddened that he didn't get any trades. Cora felt no pity for traders who assumed that their commons would mean anything except a handful of copper half-pennies. Cora started putting her cards back into their sleeves, angered that the trader was so careless with her treasures.

It was finally her turn to play. Beltzer bowed. "Are you set to play, my dear?" he asked so condescendingly.

"Call me your 'dear' one more time and I'll tear out your eyebrow," Cora threatened him. She looked at the Dueling grounds next to her. Nixie had her Duel Disk already in arm. She was up against a know-it-all named Andrew.

"Prepare to be amazed by my technical mastery!" Andrew boasted.

"Oh, boy," Nixie groaned. "I set a monster face-down. Your move."

"My turn," said Andrew. "I'm drawing a card." He examined his hand for options. "Going by my calculations, I summon Salamangreat Foxy in attack mode! Using its effect, I will excavate three cards on the top of my deck and add a Salamangreat card to my hand. This is my optimal move, I special summon Backup Secretary. Next, I tribute Foxy to Link Summon, Salamangreat Balelynx!"

"Oh, great," Nixie signed. "Another Salamangreat Deck. Is anyone original anymore?"

Andrew narrowed his eyes. "Hmph, I'll teach you some respect. Now, I'll special summon Salamangreat Gazelle, and use its effect to..."

"No, you're not!" said Nixie. "I discard Effect Veiler to cancel out your Gazelle!"

"Hmph, that was within acceptable parameters."

"Are you a fucking cyborg or something! Speak Emboldorian for crying out loud!"

"Very well, maybe you'll understand this! I will Overlay Gazelle and Backup Secretary to Xyz Summon Salamgreat Mirage Stallio, with an attack of 2000! What do you think of that?"

"Lame," Nixie answered. "That's five special summons you made there. So now, I use the effect of this all-powerful card. Nibiru, the Primal Being! I will sacrifice your three monsters to summon it."

"WHAT! NO!" shouted Andrew. Three comets fell from the sky and smashed all of his monsters to dust. Suddenly, the sky darkened and turned reddish-purple. A giant asteroid hovered over the world.

Cora laughed. "Damn, Nixie. You run dinosaurs and have Nibiru in your deck? Talk about ironic."

Nixie gave her a thumb up. "Lol-lol-lol," she sang out.

Beltzer was starting to grow impatient and started his turn without a coin toss. "Watch, Cora. The monsters you are about to face will lead me to victory and claim the bounty on your beautiful head. "I summon Altergeist Meluseek! But I'll tribute my monster to Link Summon the reliable, Linkuriboh!"

The girls squealed when they saw his fairy-like Cyberse monster. Beltzer waved his hand up and down to pacify them. "Yes, yes. I won't be taking much damage from you with him out on the field. Now, I will use Pot of Greed to draw two cards. I will set three cards face-down and end my turn."

Cora drew. "Okay, here goes. I'll use the magic of Twin Twisters! By discarding one card from my hand, I can destroy two of your face-down cards."

Clouds formed over their field. They spun faster and faster and faster until two tornados slithered down from the center of the cloud formations. They whirled around his center card and the rightmost card, shattering them to pieces. When their job was done, the tornados dispersed.

"Well played, Cora," Beltzer complimented with a bow.

"Flattery isn't going to get you far, boy. But I will require your help in choosing a card for me."

"And how do you expect me to do that?" Beltzer asked, brushing bangs off his eyes.

"With this. Bingo Machine GO! This card allows me to choose three cards with Blue-Eyes in the name in my deck. Then you pick one. And the lucky card gets added to my hand."

A bingo machine, crafted to look like a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon rose up from the ground. The left and right heads were the dispensers where the balls came out. While the center head was inside a glass sphere with its mouth open. The cards Cora chose took the form of white balls. Beltzer chose the one on the left. The balls were then magically transported into the machine. They were shot out of the middle head's mouth and they twirled around and around before they were swallowed. The left head's eyes were glowing blue and it opened its mouth. The ball shot out and revealed the card to Cora.

Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon.

"Excellent choice," said Cora. "We have a winner. Now, I'll use the Spell Card, The Melody of Awakening Dragon. I discard a card and add two dragons with 3000 or more attack and 2500 or less defense to my hand. I'm sure you know what puppies I'm bringing out."

"Do your worst," Beltzer taunted her. "I'm not afraid of your glowing wyrms."

"You sure about that, pretty boy? Here let me reveal this to you."

She showed him her Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Oh, and just how do you intend to summon that, Cora? You have no monsters to tribute."

Cora laughed. "Boy, what do you think this is, Battle City? There are plenty of ways to summon monsters. And revealing my Blue-Eyes was one of them."

Beltzer puckered his lips. "I do hope that Blue-Eyes is not all you'll be revealing to me."

"Ugh, sick! Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon, teach this creep some manners!"

Her monster came, dazzling all who looked upon it. But it was a short triumph, for Beltzer was equipped with a trap. Torrential Tribute, which washed away her dragon with a great flood. Linkuriboh was also taken away by the fierce waters, but when it was gone, Beltzer summoned two Altergiest monsters called Multifaker and Silquitos.

"Fine," said Cora. "Thankfully, there's always a Plan B. I use the spell, Trade-In, discarding my Blue-Eyes White Dragon for two cards. I use The Melody of Awakening dragon again to add two dragons to my hand. Now that it's the end of my turn, I'll use the effect of a monster in my Graveyard. White Stone of Ancients. It allows me to Special Summon a Blue-Eyes to the field. Come on out, Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon!"

Cora summoned a Blue-Eyes whose body was made of silvery-blue steel, so reflective it shined brightly, almost blinding everyone who looked directly at it. Its wings were clear and had multi-colored patterns in the center like a rainbow. A torch was coming out of its mouth.

"Now, with Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon, I will target your Silquitos and negate its effects."

"And I shall counter," said Beltzer.

His Multifaker returned to the hand, causing Blue-Eyes Solid Dragon's effect to activate as well. When an opponent activated and effect, Solid Dragon could switch out and become a normal Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Beltzer rubbed his chin. She was proving to be a nuisance to him. There was no stopping her from summoning her dragons over and over again no matter what he did.

Nixie's Nibiru then summoned a toke on Andrew's side of the field, who ATK and DEF was the total of the original attack points of the monsters used to summon Nibiru. A comet hovered over Andrew. The holographic windows displayed 2500 ATK and 900 DEF. She then flipped over her face-down monster, a Soulstealing Oviraptor and then she normal summoned a Miscellaneousaurs and Overlayed them both to Xyz Summon Evolzaur Solda. It didn't end there. She activated more spells and effects that allowed her to excavate the right cards she needed to summon her strongest beasts.

* * *

**Yumeko**

* * *

Joey then led Yumeko to the inn located right beside the river where the building dominated from their perch on top of the cliff. Inside, Duke gave her a few parcels with new clothing for her to wear inside.

He took her upstairs. "Well, this is it. Dinner is at eight. We expect to see you there. If ya need anything, let us know." He left her alone, closing the door behind.

Yumeko examined her room and then tossed her things on the floor. It suddenly dawned on her that she was many leagues from Katina, her place of birth. She wished she could say that she missed her home, but Yumeko realized that except for the forge, there was really nothing to miss in the small village of Dovehollow under the shadow of the baron's castle. Yumeko warmed her hands by the hearth and then helped herself to a warm bath before changing into a nightgown that Duke bought her. It was of no surprise that he showed no modesty when buying her clothing, for it didn't even cover her knees.

"Why do I have the feeling I was duped?" she asked, examining herself in the mirror. Someone knocked on the door.

"Enter," she said.

Mai, Téa, and Serenity came inside.

"Wow, there she is," said Téa.

"Oh, isn't she a dream?" cooed Mai. "She's so beautiful."

"She really is," said Serenity. "Wow, hard to believe she's Yugi's daughter."

"What the!" Mai snickered. "Where did you get that, hon? It's showing off your goodies."

"Courtesy of Duke Devlin," Yumeko groaned, stretching the hem of her gown as she bent her knees doing a mockery of a curtsy.

"Good ol' Duke," Téa said with a roll of her blue eyes. "No decorousness towards women even if they're the daughters of his friends. Don't worry, sweetheart, not all guys are like him. I'm Téa Gardner. A longtime friend of Yugi's."

"I'm Serenity Wheeler. Ser Joey's sister."

"And I'm Mai of House Valentine. I brought you something a little more decent."

"Oh, thank you," Yumeko said, taking a parcel from Mai. She quickly changed into a proper nightgown.

"That's better," Mai said. "It actually looks good on you. Now, I'm going to need your measurements, hon."

"For what!?" cried Yumeko.

"Well, you're going to Rosenkruz Academy are you not?" said Mai. "You're going to need a uniform."

"Oh, well, I guess," said Yumeko. She stood still as Mai began to measure her with yellow tape. "Not bad, almost my size," said Mai.

"I don't know if I should say thanks or what?" said Yumeko, feeling creeped out with Mai's crudeness. "So, is it true? You three are going to teach Prince Yuri at the university?"

"Yes, we are," said Serenity. "His mother was a dear friend of ours. After she and her husband were killed by Anubis, we took care of him."

Yumeko nodded. "You must have missed him terribly."

"Oh, you have no idea, sweet cakes," said Mai, trying to get the numbers of Yumeko's waist. "Poor Serenity wouldn't stop crying for over a month."

"Oh, come now, Mai," said Serenity. "You were teary-eyed, too. We still miss him."

"I hope I become worthy and mean that much to you," said Yumeko. "Not because I'm Yugi Muto's long-lost daughter, but because you see me as a friend."

"We already do, hon," said Mai.

"Thank you," said Yumeko.

"Woah, wait a minute!" said Serenity. "Doesn't Kaiba have a girl at the school too?"

"Oh, that's right. Cora!" said Mai. "So, the Muto-Kaiba rivalry will continue on with you two lovely ladies. Now, this year is really shaping up to be interesting."

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

"That was just too cool!" Cora shouted, counting the thick wad of Eredian Notes she won from beating many players in the arena earlier. "We are gonna have steak tonight, ladies!"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Amy laughed, patting her belly. "I've had enough to eat. I think I'm gonna be stuffed the whole day."

"Meh, I think I'll have a bite later," Nixie shrugged. She removed her beanie and a river of golden hair flowed down to her shoulders. "Bacon double cheeseburgers don't fill me up like they used to." She took a hairband from her pocket and tied her hair into a ponytail. Ultimate Conductor Tyranno's roars still echoed in her ears. She hated to admit it, but it brought her great discomfort. Her ears felt clogged and sore listening to him roar in her Duels earlier. "I think I'm going to use earplugs next time I play," she complained.

"You should," said Brandy. "You work in Paleontology, so I imagine there's a lot of heavy machinery for you to work with, eh?"

Nixie rubbed the back of her index finger over her ear. "Yeah, sometimes we use dynamite. I used to enjoy the sound, but now as the years go by, it hurts like all hell."

Kasumi gave a heavy sigh, following Cora and the others down to the clothing district of the mall, which was five city blocks of clothing stores, bars, and cafes. At the center was a lake with sweet green water. The white limestone walls were covered with ivy. The bottom of the lake shimmered with silver, copper, and gold coins. The entered the district through a watery doorway, with waterfalls flowing down black marble walls and lit from the back with pink lamps. Krissa's eyes were wide when she saw three floors of clothing stores that went on as far as the eye could see. The sweet smell of the Food District fragranced the clothing area to appease hungry shoppers to come their way. Another star symbolizing the light in the sky when the Song erupted was hanging above the lake, but it was more lavish in design.

"Pick something nice, Krissa," Cora said, leading her by the hand. "We're going to party in the Shadow Realm."

Krissa gasped. "Goddesses! No! Oh, Blessed Mothers forgive her for she knows not what she does."

Kasumi burst out laughing and patted her on the back. "Relax, Krissa. The Shadow Realm is a night club here in the city. It's a place to drink, dance, and have fun. Not get damned for all eternity."

"Oh, I see. It does sound like fun. But why does it require such a dark name?"

"Most of them do," giggled Amy. "Lots of naughty things happen in there."

"Oh, gracious!" Krissa squeaked.

Brandy sniggered at her. "She's so pure."

Cora put an arm over Krissa. "Well, sadly the temple sent her to us. We're gonna tear her ass up tonight."

Krissa groaned. "I don't like the sound of that."

Night fell over the city. Fireworks lit the sky, overpowering the stars and the light of the three moons. Kasumi drove her friends towards the oceanfront, colored pink, red, and blue from the neon signs and lights outlining many buildings. Their raunchy party dresses as well as the exotic sports card Kasumi drove caught the eyes of many pedestrians. For fun, Cora had the Phantom of her Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon flying over them. The sight of the beast brought out cheers and cameras flashed lightning. Chaos MAX wasn't the only hologram being shown off.

A girl and her party zoomed down the dark, pink-lit streets with a Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys flying over their car. The phoenix did a barrel roll and sprinkled the party district with cold-blue embers. Cerulean Phoenix and Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX roared at one another as they passed by. One player in a flaming red truck limousine had his troop of Six Samurais hovering over him. He and his buddies were sticking their upper bodies out of the sunroof. He was a champion from some part of the Northwestern city called Azurinon, and he showed off his status by having his championship belt hanging over his shoulder. He raised a glass at the girls and their dragon before the limo took off into the city.

Parked in front of a club in the shape of a pyramid with two gold sphinxes guarding the lot, Duelists were showing off their exotic cars as well as the HD holograms or Phantoms of their best monsters. As Kasumi drove past the lot, Cora could make out an Odd-Eyes Clear-Wing Dragon, a Salamangreat Blaze Dragon, Dark Armed, the Dragon of Annihilation, and Firewall Xceed Dragon standing proudly over the cars of their cocky masters as they showed off their expensive clothes and girls. There was a large number of girls, all of them scantily clad with hopes of getting the attention of a rich player. One Duelist had his girls dressed in bunny outfits with the backsides marked with the logo of his brand to promote his Duel Disk manufacturing company. They posed around him as his Borreload Xcharge Dragon roared triumphantly.

"This is something I never knew existed," Krissa said timidly. She felt so out of place being here.

"Just stick with us and you'll be fine," said Kasumi. "It's going to be fun, I promise."

She drove to a club, shrouded with purple mist and lit with black lights. The water flowing down its walls to the pool had an acidic green color to them. Venom Cobras slithered in the gardens below munching on rats and bullfrogs. The walls over the garden doubled as an aquarium with Deepsea Sharks swimming through them. They were colored purple with red fins and they had a big, blue eye on the top of their heads. Kasumi found a place to park and Cora turned off her Duel Disk, causing the Phantom of Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon to disappear.

"For goodness sakes, I knew this was a bad idea," groaned Nixie as she awkwardly got out the car. "I fucking hate thongs!"

Cora sniggered. "You lost the bet earlier. I won the most Duels so you get to wear what I tell you."

Kasumi slammed the door shut as she burst out laughing. "Well, it's only fair, Nix. I mean Cora went swimming in the nude when she lost the bet. It's only fair you get humiliated."

Cora narrowed her eyes and grinned at Kasumi. "Hey, Princess, when last I checked, it was you who made that bet with me. Oh, believe me, I'm going to get you back for that."

They walked in line for a while and had a group picture taken by the staff in front of the Step and Repeat bearing the franchise of the club. Finally, it was time to go in, but the foyer was flooded with angry customers. Standing at the center of the foyer stood a Green Priest and two thugs from the Church Militant were standing in front of the entrance to the club, blocking the way.

"Not these clowns again!" Cora shouted.

"Tell me about it," said an Elvish boy. "They protested a Duel earlier today because they say Duel Monsters is sinful. The nerve of these fools! HEY GET OUT OF HERE AND LEAVE US BE!"

The other attendees shouted as well. They wanted to move, but the two brutes from the Church Militant were armed with spiked balls and they looked strong enough to rip someone's arms off.

"Heed my words Youths of Eredas!" shouted the Green Priest, holding out his hands to offer prayer. "The arrival of the Dragon Summoner is no mere coincidence. Her coming was foretold in the scriptures of the White-Gold Tome of Yeyu ("NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR STUPID BOOK!" shouted a girl). Her coming will bring forth pain, suffering, death. The end of days. This is a sign of Yeyu's disapproval of you going into establishments such as this! Put down your cups filled with your vile liquids. Cover your ears to the wretched music booming from these walls and embrace the teachings of the True Faith!"

He stared at all the girls in the foyer and scoffed at their attires. "Look at you. Dressed up as common whores! Is this how you present yourselves? Have none of you any shame! Have none of you the decency to cover yourselves to be fit in the eyes of Yeyu?"

"Yeyu can kiss my Blue-Eyes White Ass!" shouted Cora.

The guests cheered.

"What!?" shouted the Green Priest. "I demand to know who said that!"

"I did!" Cora said stepping forward.

"You!" snarled the priest. "I know you. You're Seto Kaiba's daughter aren't you?"

The guests Ooooooed and parted to give her the spotlight. "Yeah, that's right," Cora said walking up to him. "You're in our way and none of us are interested in hearing your sermon, Priest. So do us all a favor and get the hell out of the way."

The Green Priest looked at her and sneered. He looked down at her breasts, gazing disapprovingly at all the cleavage it revealed. "If we were back in Balodrum, you would be stoned to death for looking like this."

Cora cocked her head to the right and smirked defiantly in his face. "Well, we're not in Baldorum, so you have to abide by our rules."

"She's right," Kasumi said, taking a stand beside Cora. "There may be spineless senators and lords who will let you do what you please for some extra gold in their pockets and a vote of confidence against the nomenclature, but the people have the bigger say here. And we have had enough of your bigotry and hate. When Yuri returns and sits on the Diamond Throne, your days are numbered."

"I think not," said the Green Priest. "Not if we convert him to the true faith. The faith of..."

The doors behind the soldiers of the Church Militant opened. A ten-foot-tall Leogai stepped through and stood over them. The two men gasped and stood back. The Leogai's fur and silky mane were jet black. His eyes were a primitive yellow fading into red around the slit iris. He wore a rich black suit with a black buttoned shirt and black tie. He was just a black mass of anger, class, and impatience. He growled, flashing his silver-coated canines at the Priest and his men.

"What is the trouble here?" said the Leogai. "Are you keeping my customers from coming inside?"

The Priest stared at the Leogai. "Merrok. These youths are lost lambs in a valley of wolves and dragons! They must be made aware of the chaos they are bringing into our world by attending these wild parties!"

"We all know about the Dragon Summoner, Connerhyde," said Merrok. "And her coming is a blessing in our eyes. And you can't use it as an excuse to come here and harass my customers. Get out and let us sin in peace before things get nasty."

"Very well," said Connerhyde. "Come men. Let us remove ourselves from this filthy den of covetousness and degradation. Mark my words, children of Eredas. A banner will fly high over the towers of this city. When it does, you and all who come to these places will be hit the hardest."

"Get out!" shouted guests.

"Out! Now!" said Merrok. "Let these kids have some fun, okay?"

The Priest and his thugs walked out. "HEY! ASSHOLE!" Cora shouted at the priest. The priest turned. Cora insulted him by kissing Krissa passionately. The guests clapped and cheered.

"DAMN YOU!" shouted the priest as his men grabbed him and pulled him away. "DAMN YOU ALL TO THE SHADOW REALM! I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE COLD EMBRACE OF ZORC! DIE! DIE! DIE ALL OF YOU!"

"Show's over folks," said Merrok. "Why wait to get into the Shadow Realm? It's all for you and it's open all night long!"

The guests cheered and hurried inside. Once inside the club, Cora and her friends danced until the sun came out over the horizon.

* * *

Ralsh Spyreheart drummed his fingers against his biceps as he leaned against the brick wall of a dark and lonely alleyway. The air was pungent with the redolence of garbage mixed with food from the nearby restaurants. The red neon lights of the nearby Salazar Hotel illuminated the alleyway, as did its hundreds of windows, each lit up with a warm yellow glow. He would have rathered be waiting in there than out here in the rain. His black, leather jacket started getting soaked and chilled him to the bone. He sighed and slid his fingers inside his hood to scratch his scalp. He had messy brown hair with two bangs that dangled over his face. He sighed and looked at the hotel. He could see the guests, warm and cozy, in the main lobby.

The alleyway suddenly turned green. "Well, it's about time," he said. He peered to his left and saw a fiery green portal burst out of nowhere. From it, a man stepped out. He wore jet-black robes with glowing, green patterns and holographic, neon green stoles crisscrossed over his torso and formed arches over his shoulders. Decorative arcane circles hovered over his over-sized shoulders, both of them bearing a flaming eye.

"Report," said the man.

Ralsh burst out laughing. "Man, don't you love making an entrance." He held out his hand. "Got my pay?"

The hooded man grunted and held out his palm. Green flames erupted from it and formed a pouch loaded with gold coins. He tossed it at Ralsh, who caught it with ease. Ralsh scaled the weight of the pouch with his hand and nodded.

"Nice, this should get the gang going."

"I expect results," said the robed man. "Otherwise, I'll be taking my business elsewhere, and you will find yourself locked in the dungeon at the mercy of the inquisition for your incompetence."

Ralsh scoffed. "Relax, will you? When was the last time I let you down, man?"

"Is she here?" the robed man asked, dodging his condescending question.

"She is. Unless there's another hottie around here that can use the Blue-Eyes White Dragon archetype. What do you need her for anyway?"

"That's none of your concern. Your only job is to find her and defeat her with the magic we have given you. Mark my words, boy, it is a holy, ancient, and powerful magic. Take it lightly and it will lead to your downfall."

He tossed him a card. Ralsh caught it with his two fingers.

"Not bad," Ralsh said, examining the card. "A little OP, but against a girl as skilled as her, we're gonna need all the help we can get. And her friends? Are we to Duel with them, too?"

"I do not care for them, but if they get in the way, yes. Do it. Their souls will bring good nourishment to the Holy One."

"All right. You can count on us."

"I sure hope so, boy. Otherwise, your souls will serve as a replacement."


	20. A Rivaly Reborn

** Yumeko **

* * *

Mai Valentine opened the door to Yumeko's room. She was disgusted with the mannerism of Yami's daughter. She was disorderly for one so fair. Dirty clothes were all over the floor and hanging from chairs, furniture corners, and doorknobs. Her desk was littered with cards she just opened. The booster boxes and pack wrapping were piled without care into the wastebasket. Yumi was sound asleep on her bed, snoring and drooling onto her pillow.

"Yumi!" Mai shouted.

Yumeko rose her head slowly. Her golden hair masking her face. Yumeko smacked her lips, tasted the morning in her mouth. She realized she needed a good brushing, but she was so exhausted she fell back asleep.

"You get up this instant, young lady!" Mai barked again. She got another rise out of Yumeko.

"What is it now?" she groaned.

Mai put her hands on her hips. "Well, I'll have you know, it took a long while, but your father finally managed to grant you citizenship into the city."

"Whoopee," she said with sarcasm, slumping into her pillow again.

Mai felt the fury of a thousand dragons swelling up inside of her. She slapped her hands together and gave a great stomp on the floor. "Yumeko Muto, you get up this instant!" she demanded.

Yumeko slammed her fist into her sheets. She reared her head back up and removed her hair from her face. "You're not my mother, Miss Mai."

"No, but until we find Yvonne, I am going to be acting like it. We've spoiled you rotten, little lady! We love you that much. But it seems to me that no matter how much we try, we just can't seem to get through that thick skull of yours. And I think you should be a little bit more grateful for the things Yugi has been doing for you."

"If he thinks fancy schools and new clothes are going to win me over, then the King of Games should rightfully be called the King of Fools."

The brought out the fury inside of Mai. She screeched like a Harpie Lady. "That does it, little lady." She rolled up the sleeves of her jacket. "You're going to get it the way my mother used to do me."

Yumeko got up and raised her fists. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, wouldn't I?" said Mai. "We didn't have to find you, Yumi. We could have let you rot in that town. We could have left you for the Naralians and just made our way to Domino. Yugi has important business down there, but he found it in his heart to try and find you, and care for you. You don't deserve the love he's given you. You are a spoiled little bitch, Yumi. We so wanted to call you Princess of Games, but the Heart of the Cards does not work for selfish brats like you. Now, I'm only going to say this once, hun. Take back what you said about Yugi, or your rear end is going the get the beating it so rightfully deserves!"

Yumeko paused, a countenance of guilt caused her face to drop, and she tapped her finger on her lower lip. For a moment, Mai thought the girl was going to show a little remorse for her attitude… Until she smiled disobediently, giggled and said: "You're right, you didn't have to come for me. That makes you all corny and stupid."

"Okay, young lady," said Mai in a cold whisper. "Prepare for the worst beating of your life."

"Try and catch me, bitch," Yumeko said defiantly at Mai. She was ready to run, but Mai grinned, flashing her pearly white teeth.

"Oh, but I already have," said Mai. "…Bitch."

Yumeko was confused until she heard something moving behind her. She turned to see what it was. She saw the pretty, deadly face of Mai's Harpie Lady staring right at her. Harpie Lady screeched loudly. Yumeko screamed in response. Harpie Lady grabbed her with her talons and held her down, flapping her wings wildly and screeching down at Yumeko to shut her up.

"HELP! HELP!" Yumeko cried. "THIS CRAZY LADY IS GOING TO KILL ME!"

Mai undid her belt. "Oh, baby, after I'm done with you, your decedents are going to have a hard time sitting."

"Mai…" Yami said hardheartedly. He was standing outside the door. "There will be no need for that. Put the belt down and leave."

Steam puffed out from Mai's ears. Cross-popping veins blinked on her brow, a symbol all Eldoris made when they were mad. "Just let me at her Yugi! This little brat deserves it! She has such a horrid attitude that she makes Seto Kaiba seem like a gentleman by comparison."

"If anyone is going to be castigating my child, it's me," said Yami. "But not like this. Hitting is not going to teach your children to behave any better, Mai."

Mai bellowed like a beast. "Argh, but this one deserves it! Just let me have a go to make her appreciate all the trouble and sacrifice we all made trying to find her!"

"Mai, go outside and take a breather. I will handle this. I'm sure my daughter has learned not to bite the hand that feeds her. If not, you may do as you please, Mai."

"No, no, no, please," Yumeko begged pathetically while writhing in Harpie Lady's talons. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean all the things I said. Really, I'm just mad! Frustrated! Please, I just want to find my mother! I haven't seen her since I was a baby!" She started sobbing. "You don't know what it's like not having a mother around. Or a family. I let my emotions get the better of me. I'm sorry, Miss Mai, I really am."

Big tears rolled down her cheeks. Mai lowered her arm, feeling sincerity take the place of her rage. "Then you're going to have to show us some respect you little insect! Harpie Lady, return!" She commanded, and Harpie Lady was gone.

Yumeko sat up and massaged her ribs. Harpie Lady had her clasped good and tight in her talons. She wiped her tears away, which came out mostly from the shock she received when she came face to face with Harpie Lady.

Mai inhaled and exhaled strongly as she looped her belt. Yami handed his child a handkerchief from a compartment in his cape. Yumeko whimpered and hiccupped as she wiped her weep away and blew her nose into it. Mai knew she taught the girl her lesson, and seeing those tears pour down Yumeko's face was a sign that there was a heart somewhere in that tough-girl exterior.

Mai walked to the door, stopped, and turned to look back at Yumeko. "By the way, hun." She said. Yumeko looked up at her. Mai smiled and said: "I do know what it's like not to have a family. I had an attitude like yours way back when. Seeing you sort of reminds me of myself the day I met your father and his friends."

And with that, she left.

Yami sat down next to Yumeko and crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't worry, you'll get used to her. It took some time for us to adjust to her company. Mai may be tough, but inside, she can be a valiant friend once you get to know her."

He tried to put his arm around her, but she swatted it away and scooted farther from him. She wiped her nose with the sleeve of her nightgown and said: "You've got a lot of nerve talking to me like everything's okay, Yugi."

"_Hmph_!" said Yugi, standing next to Yami. "_Looks like she hasn't learned her lesson_."

"_Yugi, stay out of this_," said Yami. "_I can handle the situation on my own_."

Yugi vanished. Yami cleared his throat. "Yumeko, what is it that you want from me?"

"I want nothing!" said Yumeko. "I just want to see my mother, again."

"I want to see her again as well," said Yami. "I wanted to find her, and you. But Termnnia needed saving. First Pegasus went mad with power in Duelist Kingdom, stealing my grandfather's soul and..."

"I know, Yumeko interrupted. "Saving the world must be tough."

"Hmm." Yami nodded again. Yumeko could only assume her attitude finally broke Yami. She needed to do something to remain on his good side. Like it or not, this man was her only glimmer of hope in finding her mother.

"I imagine it must keep you busy," Yumeko commented, wrapping her finger with a lock of her hair.

"It has its ups and downs," said Yami. "Thanks to my status, I was able to give Prince Daveed a new life."

"Bet you miss him," said Yumeko.

"I do," Yami said at once. "I loved him. The boy was like my own son in the short time that I knew him." He stood up. "I've ordered you a carriage back to Naralia. You'd best hurry if you want to get home."

Yumeko jumped in surprise. "Wait, you're sending me away!?"

"It's what you want isn't it?"

"Just a second ago you were all chummy, now you don't want me anymore? Why the sudden change of heart?" Yumeko asked.

"I should ask you the same," said Yami. "Since I first found you, all I've done was try and help you. But it seems that you do not wish for my aid. You only use me for your own gain."

"But I…"

"If you want to find Yvonne, you're going to have to do so yourself. You will not get another resource from me." He pointed out the door. "Go on! Go!"

Yumeko shook her head. "Father, I'm sorry!"

Yami's violet eyes gleamed with rage. "Oh, now I'm your father! Now you're sorry! It's because you've lost everything. Now beat it! Out of my sight, I never want to see you again!"

"But what about my enrollment into the…"

"I've terminated it!" shouted Yami. "You're no longer going to the school. I'm sorry for what you've lost, but that is no reason to take it out on me or my friends! Do you know the time it took to get to your village? The risk? Everything we had to set aside? All for you, fool! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I SACRIFICED!?"

The room was quiet. Yumeko felt her face getting warm.

"You were nothing more than a waste of time. I will say no more. Pack your things and leave." He took a step forward out of the room.

"Father," pleaded Yumeko. Yami stopped again. "Give me another chance. I'm sorry, with all my heart and all my honor, I'm sorry. Please."

There was a long pause. Silence, save for the song of the birds, and the thundering torrents of the over-sized water drains outside.

"Your enrollment into the school is still gone," Yami said, breaking the silence. "However, we can arrange for you to get it back. Dr. Vellion Crowler wishes to challenge you to a Duel to see if you're academy material. Beat him and you're back in, but be advised, you will not get a penny from me."

"I understand," said Yumeko. She got out of bed and stood behind her father. "When I win, think better of me father. I truly am sorry for my despicable attitude."

"Humph," scoffed Yami, "that will depend on the outcome of this Duel. The Heart of the Cards will reveal to me if you're sincere or not. Dr. Crowler will be in the central plaza waiting for you; see that you prepare your deck, for there will be no second chances. You lose you're out, am I clear."

"Yes, father," said Yumeko.

"Refrain from calling me that until your task is done," Yami scolded her. "Until I deem you worthy, just call me Yugi."

He walked out of the room and slammed the door, leaving Yumeko alone. After he left the inn, Mai, Téa, and Serenity returned and treated Yumeko to a warm bath. The wooden tub was hidden behind a screen with murals of knights rescuing damsels and fighting against knights. Téa took an iron kettle out of the fire and poured it into the bubbly water.

"You're all set," she said to Yumeko, standing gingerly over the tub, grasping to the short silk robe she wore.

"It's not that hot," said Téa. "Go on."

Yumeko slid off her bathrobe and went into the tub. The water started warming her tired body. She gave a sigh of relief as she sat down, resting her neck on a red cushion.

"You've got a lot of scarring," said Serenity, scrubbing Yumeko's arms with a wet sponge.

"I worked the forge in my village," said Yumeko.

"So that explains your chiseled bod," said Mai, biting into an apple as she leaned against a wooden beam with playful carvings of fishes. "You've got some nice muscles, kiddo."

"Uh, thanks, I guess," said Yumeko. "I'm sorry if my attitude has left a sour taste in your mouths. I was not expecting to see my father. Especially not in these circumstances. I should consider myself lucky that my father is the King of Games."

"You really should," said Téa, adding strawberry-scented oil into the water. "We risked a lot traveling to Covenant-controlled turf to find you, young lady. We're not supposed to be up there; you know we're at war right?"

"I know, I'm sorry. All these years of frustration were lingering in my breast. I did not mean to offend you. I appreciate all you've done for me. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."

"Aw," said Téa.

Mai sighed. "Look, I know we got off to a rocky start, kiddo, but if Yugi still hasn't changed his mind, you're welcome to stay with me."

Yumeko chuckled. "So long as there are no Harpies for me to worry about, I accept your offer. Thank you, Miss Mai."

"Just Mai," Mai said with a smile. She bit into her apple again. "So, a little birdie tells me you've got Exodia in your deck."

Serenity gasped in surprise. "You mean that monster Yugi used to defeat Kaiba?"

"The one and only," said the obnoxious Dr. Vellion Crowler. He arrogantly stepped into the room with his arms behind his back.

"Hey!" shouted Téa, holding up a towel to block his view. "What is the matter with you!?"

"We did not give you permission to enter, Crowler!" shouted Mai. "Get out! There is a girl bathing here!"

"So it's true what they tell me?" Crowler sneered. "Yugi Muto, the King of Games, has a little brat. Pretty young thing, I must admit, but has she the skills to attend our prestigious academy? What is your name, my dear?"

"Don't answer him, hon!" Mai said to Yumeko. "Get out, Crowler, what reason do you have for walking in on her like this?"

"I can do as I please, Lady Valentine. I am the Ambassador of Duel Island and Chancellor Sheperd's right-hand-man. Oh, I got that job on my own, by the way. I have diplomatic authority, and if I want to see the girl, then I will. But she is indisposed as of now, so my apologies. I do hope you are ready for our Duel, young lady."

"She'll Duel you when she's ready!" said Mai. "Now if there's nothing more you need, get out!"

"As you say," Crowler bowed pretentiously. "I'll see you in the plaza in no more than fifteen minutes. Am I understood?"

"Yes," Yumeko said timidly.

"Hm," Crowler sneered, and then he walked away.

Mai stormed for the door and slammed the door behind him. "I hate that guy!"

"Was he a man or a woman?" Yumeko asked.

"Don't ask," said Téa.

"We'd better hurry then," said Serenity. "Crowler is not a patient man."

After they washed Yumeko, they dried her and dressed her in a summer gown. They led her outside of the inn and towards the central plaza where Crowler was waiting for them under the shade of the clock tower. He checked his pocket watch and nodded. "Ah, with time to spare. This is good, this is good."

Yumeko glared at him. "I want to kick his ass so bad," she said.

"And you will," said Téa. "Here, this is your father's Duel Disk. It's only a generation old but works like a dream. You can make a few adjustments to it when you're ready or willing."

Yumeko held out her arm. Téa fastened the Duel Disk on her wrist, good and tight. Meanwhile, across the field, Crowler's handmaidens were fastening his massive Duel Coat over his torso. Serenity seemed to fear the man; for his new uniform was military-like in design.

They shuffled their decks and were ready to play.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**LP 8000**

"I will begin this turn no-no-no-no neh," said Crowler, slyly drawing his first card and adding it to his hand. "I summon Ancient Gear Wyvern in attack mode! (**ATK/1700 DEF/1200 LV 4 EARTH Machine/Effect**) I play his effect, allowing to add this card to my hand. Reveal Ancient Gear Tool! From my hand, I play a Spell Card, Ancient Gear Fortress!"

The ground quaked. From behind Crowler, a fortress of strong stone and large metal gears rose over the playing field. It whirred and steamed.

Crowler laughed like maniac possessed by a fiend. He felt confident he was going to win this Duel because of his high status and new collection of Ancient Gear Monsters.

"You have no idea of the power that lurks in my deck, Miss Muto. Oh, if only I had these monstrosities when Yugi and I Dueled earlier for mastery over Prince Yuri. I would have mopped the floor with him."

"He would still find a way to beat you, Crowler!" shouted Serenity. "Yugi always found a way!"

Crowler laughed. "Oh, do not bore me with your speeches of friendship and believing, ladies. Your bond was not enough to save Yuri from his fate. That is something you must learn, Miss Yumeko. In this world, the only thing that matters is power! Take Prince Yuri's parents for example. Had Yuri's parents been stronger people, they would still be alive. Instead, they sat around foolishly believing the power of friendship would be enough to save them. Well, it never came. You must be strong! The only person you should rely on is yourself!"

"That's not true, Yumeko!" cried Téa. "Don't listen to him."

"Why?" snapped Crowler. "Because it's the truth that I speak? This is Duel Monsters, a game of power, and unless you harness that power, Miss Yumeko, you will never become a legendary Duelist. You will never find your mother!"

"What would you know about my mother?" Yumeko asked.

Crowler grinned. "I know that she seeks you. Yvonne was one of my best students when she attended the academy. I may have a few contacts who know where to start looking. But having said that, Yvonne is a hard woman to find. She might need a little persuasion to come out of the shadows. When she hears her beloved daughter has become a powerful Duelist, I know with all my being that she will come find you, my dear."

"You really think so?" Yumeko asked.

"But of course," said Crowler. "I ask but one thing from you. Become my lackey."

"WHAT!" Mai, Téa, and Serenity shouted.

"Crowler you're out of your mind!" yelled Mai.

"Why would I do that?" Yumeko asked.

Crowler sneered. "I sense you have some skill within you, Yumeko. You need a teacher. I can help you. I can help forge you into an unstoppable Duelist. Together with my resources, and the fame and grandeur you will receive as an all-powerful Duelist, we can find your mother. All you need to do is say yes."

"Yumi don't do it!" said Mai. "I know how much finding your mother means to you, but this is not the way."

Yumeko stepped forward. "Dr. Crowler," she said. "It will be my honor…"

"No!" gasped Serenity. "Yumi don't!"

"…to introduce you to my ultimate beast!" Yumeko finished.

"What?" said Crowler in a most displeased tone.

"I draw!" said Yumeko. "I play the Spell Card called Unexpected Dai. This will allow me to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal monster from my hand or deck. Behold, the Left Arm of the Forbidden One!"

A golden fist emerged before Yumeko on her field. It was massive in size, but dead. It just remained there in a clenched fist.

"No offense," said Serenity. "But don't the pieces of Exodia work best if they're in your hand."

"Hang on, hon," said Mai. "Yumi has a plan."

A choir began to sing in the sky, announcing the arrival of a great beast. The Lord of all Monsters.

"I sacrifice the Left Leg of the Forbidden One to summon the Legendary Exodia Incarnate!"

* * *

** Legendary Exodia Incarnate **

**ATK/ ? DEF/0 DARK Spellcaster/Effect LV 10**

* * *

An arcane circle formed behind Yumeko. The sound of chains breaking could be heard coming from inside. From the circle emerged Exodia. He stomped out of his prison and loomed over Yumeko. The sun made his golden body shine. He flashed his sharp, pearly-white teeth and gave a vicious snarl.

His stats displayed a weak 1000 ATK. Crowler grinned in relief. "Nice try, Miss Yumeko. Exodia is impressive, but his stats are far weaker than my Wyvern. A very grave mistake."

"Yeah, well, I place two cards face down and end my turn. Doing so, allows me to return my Left Leg to my hand. But it will reduce Exodia's attack to zero."

"Nyah! Ha! Ha!" cheered Crowler. "Exodia, the Lord of all Monsters with no attack points. He'll make fodder for even my weaker creatures. And I take his summoning as a No? Such a shame, little lady." He drew. "You threw away such a promising career. No matter, there are plenty of fish in the sea. I play Terraforming. Allowing me to play Gear Town. From my hand, I activate the spell, Double Cyclone! Destroying one Spell/Trap card I have and one you have. I choose the left face-down card."

"I counter with Threatening Roar!" shouted Yumeko over the fierce cosmic gale that Crowler summoned. It would prevent him from attacking this turn.

"Fine, you may have saved yourself this turn, Yumeko, but when my Gear Town is destroyed, I can Special Summon an Ancient Gear. So here's another Ancient Gear Wyvern. Now I summon Ancient Gear Hunting Hound. Now I fusion my Hound with an Ancient Gear in my hand to conduct a Fusion Summon. Behold, Ancient Gear Howitzer (**ATK/1000 DEF/1800 LV 8 EARTH Machine/Effect**) in defense mode! Once per turn, I can inflict 1000 points of damage to your Life Points. FIRE!"

The howitzer aimed the cannons on its arms and fired, launching cannonballs all around Yumeko.

Mai, Téa, and Serenity screamed and shielded themselves from the dust and debris of the attack.

**Yumeko- LP 7000**

**Crowler-LP 8000**

"Hang in there Yumeko!" cheered Téa.

"I end my turn," said Crowler.

"And I will activate my face-down card. Obliterate! I send the Head of Exodia from my deck to the Graveyard and send your Ancient Gear Wyvern back to your hand. Now, it's my turn. Draw! I send the Right Arm of the Forbidden One from my deck to the Graveyard and return your second Wyvern to your hand. With two pieces of Exodia in the Graveyard, my Legendary Exodia Incarnate's attack raises to 2000!"

"Eeee!" squealed Crowler. His Howitzer was now fodder for the beast.

Yumeko triumphantly called for her attack. Ancient Gear Howitzer was obliterated into nothing but dust. Throughout the Duel, Yumeko repeated the process with her Obliterate trap card and her Exodia Incarnate's effect until she had all five pieces of Exodia in her hand. It was an automatic victory. Crowler braced himself as Exodia charged up his most powerful attack.

"Exodia!" shouted Yumeko. "OBLITERATE!"

Exodia extended his arm and launched the ball of infinite energy at the Chaos Ancient Gear Giant, Ancient Gear Reactor Dragon, and Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem that Crowler had summoned earlier. With a deck full of protective traps, and multiple copies of the Forbidden One in her deck, Yumeko was able to defeat Crowler and his army of Golems.

"She won," said Mai, quivering like the end of a rattlesnake. "And she destroyed all of Crowler's best monsters. What the hell is that thing?"

"This-this cannot be," quivered Crowler. "It just can't be possible!"

Mai approached Yumeko and placed both hands on her shoulders. "A deal is a deal, Crowler, Yumeko goes to the school."

Crowler didn't respond. He just sat there quivering. Mai gave a confident smirk. "I'll take that as a yes. Yumeko, pack your bags, babe. The gates to Duelist Academy have opened again."

* * *

**Two Days Later...**

* * *

"That'll be three copper pennies," the merchant said to Yumeko.

Yumeko checked her pockets and took out her three meager coins, paying the merchant for a small basket of apple slices, harvested recently for the autumn season.

"Autumn, so soon?" said the merchant, counting the coins. "You'd best bundle up, my dear. Winter is coming." He winked after saying that.

"I'll remember that," said Yumeko, picking up her apple slices.

"Would you like any condiments to go with your apples, my dear? We got syrup from the maple trees of Riftgaard. Or perhaps some a small tub of caramel to dip them in?"

"That caramel will be fine," said Yumeko. "How much will that be?"

"One ha'penny," said the merchant.

Yumeko took the small coin out of her purse and flicked it at the merchants can of coins. She walked away towards the fountain of the main plaza under the shadow of the clock tower, ringing noon. She bit into them noisily, loving the sweet and salty taste the caramel gave the apples.

"Yumi!" Mai called from the crowd. She waved her arm over her head to get Yumeko's attention.

"Mai?" Yumi said. "What are you doing here?"

"That any way to greet your godmother, sweetie?" Mai said, kissing the top of Yumi's head.

"God…mother?" Yumi asked.

"I was just given the honor by your father," said Mai, jerking her thumb back at the direction of the inn. "I must be the luckiest woman in the world to be blessed with being godmother to two wonderful kids like you and Yuri."

"I'm sorry for all the things I said earlier," said Yumi, eating another apple. She finished chewing before she spoke. "I feel like such a rat."

"Well, what's done is done." She said this with a wink. "The whole town is talking about your Duel with Crowler, baby. Everyone is dying to get a glimpse of you right now."

"I guess that explains the crowd that was just drawn," Yumi said, finally noticing a large gathering of people forming around her, pointing and whispering. "I've never been a celebrity before."

"Oh, baby," said Mai. "This is just the beginning. Why, after you become a top tier Duelist like your father, there's going to be a score of boys lined up for you."

"What is that!?" A woman shouted whilst pointing at the sky.

Something large blocked out the sun, covering the town and the city in the distance in a dark shadow.

"Speak of the freak show," said Mai, shaking her head disapprovingly at Kaiba's blimp. It soared slowly and ominously as if Seto Kaiba was flaunting his power at the commoners below.

"Seto Kaiba," said Mai.

"THE Seto Kaiba?" said Yumeko.

"Yeah, that's him. He's your father's arch-nemesis. He'll resort to kidnapping to get what he wants."

"And no one calls him out on that?" Yumeko asked.

"He's got money," said Mai. "So he doesn't have to play by the rules. Come on, baby, let's go get you some breakfast."

Not feeling satisfied with her apple slices, Yumi nodded in agreement and followed Mai towards one of the taverns.

All of a sudden, Yumi felt someone tug at her belt. She heard a rip and the sound of little footsteps running away. Yumi felt around her belt and noticed that the spot where she kept her deck case was vacant. Panic washed over her. Her heart beating like a savage's war drum.

"What's wrong?" Mai asked.

Yumi turned around and saw a small boy running off into the crowd holding a brown leather deck box with ornate embroidery of gold thread. A red gem in the center shined in the boy's calloused grip.

"My cards!" Yumi shouted. "He stole my cards! Exodia!"

"Stop thief!" shouted a baker who saw the robbery. "Guard! Guard! Stop that boy!"

"Oh no!" shouted Mai. She gasped when Yumi darted into the crowd after the child. "Yumi wait!"

Yumeko did not listen. She pushed and shoved past pedestrians, both eyes focused on the boy gripping her cards. She leapt over iron fences. Splashed into fountains and sprinted through emerald green gardens where she disrupted picnics and romantic dates. A slew of curse words was flung at her like a rain of arrows. But she was so focused on catching up to the boy that she paid their foul names no heed.

"Come back here with my deck you little bastard!" Yumi shouted when she got closer to the boy. "Oh, man, I can't afford to lose those cards!" she thought. "Those are the Exodia cards my mother gave me."

The boy finally lost Yumeko in the wharf. He took a moment to catch his breath. Sweat poured down his face and his navy-blue hair was fizzled and wind-whipped. Nevertheless, he sneered viciously and opened the deck box to examine the cards. There, in the bottom of the deck, was Legendary Exodia Incarnate shimmering in his Gold Rare foil. The monster had a raised image, which the boy rubbed with the bottom of his greasy thumb. He could not feel the rising image, for the card was protected by a sleeve.

He was ready to take it out of the sleeve when a villainous: "Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee!" cackled from the shadows of the alleyway.

"So, you have it?" said the owner of the voice. It was Weevil Underwood.

"I did," sneered the boy, triumphantly handing Weevil the deck. "I was too fast for her. See, I told you it pays to live in the streets."

"Indeed," Weevil said, examining the deck case. He sniffed it and smiled, for it was still scented in Yumi's perfume. He flipped open the lid of the case and carefully took out the cards.

"_Hee! Hee! Hee! Hee! Hee! _Word had reached my ears of a girl with Exodia cards coming into the school. Never in my wildest dreams would I suspect that said girl is Yugi Muto's daughter. Something is quite odd with this story. Yugi Muto never had a romance with anyone."

"Who cares if she's Yugi Muto's daughter or not?" said the boy. "Where's the super-rare card you said you were going to give me?"

"Ah yes, your payment," sniggered Weevil. He handed the boy a card hidden in the pocket of his acid-green jacket with bug-shaped filigree and rose patterns.

"Huh?" said the boy when he saw the card. "This is a stinkin' Gokibore card. Everyone has this one."

"You want something else?" Weevil asked.

"Yeah, that was the deal!" the boy declared furiously. "You know I could risk going to the Tower of Eredas for this? I didn't steal from just anyone. That girl is Yugi Muto's daughter. I deserve a big reward for the risk I put myself in."

"Very well," said Weevil. "Hold out your hand and you will get your just reward."

Weevil held out a small packet from his jacket. The boy, too consumed by greed, did not see that it was a trap. Weevil shook the packet. A white spider with black stripes fell onto the boy's palm and bit him.

"Ouch!" cried the boy.

The spider fell onto ground and crawled away. The boy felt his limbs growing stiff. He could no longer stand on his own two legs and fell to the ground with a hard thud. "Heh-heh-help!" he tried to say, but even his vocal cards congealed. He could not move or speak. Only his eyes scurried fearfully from left to right.

"Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee!" cackled Weevil. "And now for the Legendary Exodia Incarnate. Can't afford to have that girl entering the academy and ruining things for me and my darling Missy."

Weevil examined the cards while he casually strolled to the iron railing overlooking the Singing Ocean.

"STOP!" Yami Yugi shouted joined with Yumi, Mai, Tristan, and Joey.

"Weevil Underwood!?" shouted Joey. "I thought I smelled a dung beetle!"

"Wheeler," sneered Weevil. "Can't say I'm too content with seeing you again. I'm not happy with the failing grade you left me last semester."

"Well, if you didn't always cheat to make the grade, you wouldn't be in the mess you're in, hon," said Mai.

"Careful, Yugi," said Tristan. "He's going to toss Yumeko's Exodia cards into the sea just like he did yours."

"And I'm not afraid to do it!" said Weevil. "Exodia is a beast so rare, that it's impossible to own even a single piece. And yet she has three copies! It's not fair! I work my ass off to be the best Duelist in Termnnia, but people like Zane, Yuri, and this girl here get everything handed to them. Can you believe the pomposity in that!?"

"Those students worked hard to be the Duelists they are, Weevil!" shouted Yami.

"HA!" scoffed Weevil. "Zane has those Cyber Dragons from that monastery in the Great White Mountains. Yuri is unfairly blessed with God Cards. And somehow your 'daughter' has those Exodia cards."

"And you think it was easy getting those cards?" snapped Mai. "Zane spent years of training in that monastery to get those Cyber Dragons. And it probably was no picnic for Yumi's mother to find those Exodia pieces. And you have to be a fucking idiot to believe that the God Cards were just handed to Yuri."

"Yeah!" said Joey. "He has to earn them, just as every High King has done. If you're a failure as a Duelist, dat's yer own fault, bug boy!"

"Argh!" went Weevil. "It matters not. I've prepared for the new semester. My deck is now swarming with rare and powerful insect cards that can easily defeat anyone, even the Cyber Dragons. But Exodia is a different creature entirely. I fear you're not going to be using him, my dear."

"STOP WEEVIL!" shouted Yumi.

"Say goodbye to EXODIA!" Weevil shouted.

Click! Weevil recognized that sound and paused. He trembled with fear when he saw Roland and Kemo aiming their pistols at him.

"Back away from the edge, young man!" Roland commanded.

Weevil did as he was told, sliding away from the railing. He moved the deck box to his other hand to show he was compliant.

"Weevil, Weevil. Weevil!" Seto Kaiba said coming out of the shade of the orange awnings above the streets of the wharf. Cora stood by his side with Uncle Mokuba.

"Yugi," said Seto.

"Kaiba," Yami answered.

"If it isn't the dweeb patrol," Kaiba sneered seeing the rest of the gang.

Cora meanwhile strolled towards Weevil as frozen as the limestone statues of aristocrats and warriors in the hexagon-shaped plaza not too far from their location.

"C-Cora!" whimpered Weevil. "You-you're supposed to be on holiday."

"Ew, this creep knows who I am. Sheesh, the Divine Week ended yesterday. It's time to head back to school. Of course, I heard some rather interesting news." She gasped when she saw Yami standing across from her. There he was. The myth. The legend. The one who slipped her that rare and powerful Nephele Dragon.

Mokuba sneered. "So this is the big cheater of Duelist Academy. You'd best watch yourself, Underwood. My brother made me the official Commisioner of Games at the school. And we have zero tolerance for cheaters. You break the rules once, and not only are you out, but your family name gets stained for all eternity."

"It was stained the moment he was born," Cora said. She swiped the deck box out of Weevil's grip and walked towards Yumi.

"You must be Yumeko Muto," said Cora.

Yumi said nothing.

"You okay, kiddo?" Cora said, feeling awkward. She put the box in Yumeko's hand.

Seto approached Yami's group and proudly stood behind Cora. Yami was standing behind Yumi. The four Duelists examined one another.

"Well, well, Yugi," said Seto. "The rumors are true. You have a little brat of your own, too. Hopefully, she isn't as defiant as this one."

"I can't really say that," Yami said with a chuckle. "She's been a handful since we found her."

"That's something you and I can relate to for once," said Seto. "Though when it comes to skills in the arena, we're going to have to see for ourselves which one of our daughters is the superior Duelist. Our rivalry continues with our kin."

"So, it seems," said Yami.

"Oh, this is going to be good," said Mai. "Even in war, nothing ever douses the excitement of Duel Monsters."

"Man, everyone has a butt-kicking daughter but me," said Joey.

Kaiba snickered. "Because I don't think any woman in Termnnia would be crazy enough to think about bedding you, Wheeler."

"What!"

Yami waved a hand to pacify Joey. "So, Kaiba, I presume you're here because you got my message?"

"Yes, I'm here to take her off your hands."

"Thank you," said Yami. "See to it that she's taken care of."

"I already have one spoiled brat to look after, Yugi," said Seto. "I said I'll give her a ride to Domino. After that, she needs to fend for herself."

"That's why I'm going with her," said Mai. "I have a penthouse suite we can stay in while she studies in Rosenkruz."

"Are you sure, Mai?" Yami asked.

Mai nodded. "Now that our quest for the Pendant of the Kings has ended, I can sit back and relax. Don't worry about finances. I make enough to take care of us both."

"Thank you, Mai," said Yumi.

"We leave at dawn tomorrow," said Cora. "So, gather what you need, say your goodbyes, and get ready. Otherwise, we're leaving your ass here. Got it?"

"Of course," said Yumi. "It's nice to meet you, Cora."

"Likewise," said Cora. "But, don't get too chummy with me, kid. I'm not going to school to make friends."

She turned and left. Kaiba sniggered snobbishly and walked after her. Mokuba followed. Weevil was still frozen in fear by the railing. Tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Like father like daughter," said Mai. "Yumi, when the time comes, kick that bitch's ass."


	21. Duel with a Ghoul

* * *

**Yumeko**

* * *

After they landed in Domino City, Yumeko Muto was surrounded by a flood of reporters who mobbed around the ramp of Kaiba's blimp. Cameras flashed, blinding the poor girl. She shrieked and covered her eyes with her hand. Microphones were shoved in her face. Mai came out of the blimp, grabbed Yumi, and helped her out of the throng of people asking her questions.

"How do they all know who I am?" cried Yumi.

Mai growled, pushing a cameraman out of her way. "I see Seto Kaiba couldn't keep his mouth shut! The bastard! Come on, baby, we're almost out of here!"

Kaiba Corp security guards formed a diamond formation around Yumi and Mai. They led them to a limousine outside. The mob of reporters hurried after them, surrounding the car. Mai threw Yumi inside. She yelped as she flew down the seat, almost bumping her head on the door. Mai jumped in, slammed the door, and gave the driver directions to her suite. At last, they were safe. The driver quickly took them to the building in the business district of Domino. Mai paid the driver and helped Yumi out before anyone else could recognize her. As they entered the atrium they saw giant holographic screens with the news reporting Yumi's arrival into Domino City. The title ribbon on the screen read: Long Lost Daughter of Yugi Muto arrives in Domino.

"Come on," said Mai. "Let's get out of here. I don't want reporters at my door."

Yumi nodded and followed her godmother up into the penthouse suite of the luxurious Kaiba Towers.

"This way," Mai said, her baggage hanging from her right arm. She fumbled around her pockets for her key card. She found it and gave it a swipe. The little red light on the lock turned green. Mai opened the door and walked in. Yumeko trailed after her, clutching the straps of her backpack.

"Make yourself at home," Mai said, shutting the door behind them. "It's all yours, sweetie. The fridge and the pantry closet are stocked up. Help yourself. Your room is on the third floor down the hall with the stone water walls. You got your own bathroom with a shower, even a bathing pool. If you need anything else, just let me know."

"I…," Yumeko tried her hardest to say something. Instead, she kept it simple and said: "Thank you."

"Anytime, hon," said Mai. "Want me to show you upstairs to your room?"

Yumeko continued to explore the suite before she answered. She looked back at Mai and said: "No, it's okay. I'll find my own way around."

"It settles it then," Mai said, slipping off her bags. She went down a small set of carpeted stairs to the kitchen where she opened the fridge to get a soda. "Well, I'll order us some food and then I'm going to take a shower. You ever have pizza?"

"What's that?" Yumeko asked, taking her time getting into the kitchen.

"Of course not," Mai said with a roll of her eyes. She opened the can of the lime soda and gulped some of it down. "You were in the underdeveloped countries all your life. This must be a new experience for you."

"No kidding," Yumeko said looking at the chrome appliances and marveling at the marble countertops. The view of the city glimmering in the night outside was such a marvelous sight for her. It was hard to believe that thousands of people were living inside those towers out there.

"You'll get used to it, hon," said Mai. "I know it's a lot to take in, but in time you're going to love it. My old friend, Rose, sure did."

"Rose?" Yumeko asked, turning her gaze away from the city back to Mai.

"Luthia," said Mai. "The last Celtra, and High King Yuri's mother. She was like a sister to Serenity, Téa, and me."

"Well, I have heard about your friendship with her," said Yumeko. "But I had no idea you named her Rose."

Mai put a hand on her hip. "We called her that because the day we first met her, she was studying Xyz Summoning by a rose bush. Oh, Yumi, you should have seen her. I have never seen anything so beautiful."

"You guys did a lot together huh?" Yumeko asked.

"Yup," said Mai.

Yumeko could see her purple eyes glimmering from the tears that formed as Mai wandered her memories. She blinked rapidly. "Uh…I'll go order that pizza. In the meantime, why don't you go upstairs and clean yourself up? It should be here by the time you get back."

Yumeko nodded and took the glass stairs up to her room and took a quick shower. Just as she finished dressing up, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Mai shouted from downstairs. Yumeko shrugged as she dried her hair. She heard muffled voices from below and a quick thank you before Mai shouted: "Yumi! Dinner!"

She had never tried foreign food like pizza before. But as she at her third slice, she couldn't help but smile. "It's not bad," she said, peeling a pepperoni off the cheesy surface.

"Glad you like it," Mai said, adding pepper to her cheese. She bit into it ravenously and chewed as she spoke. "I heard from Joey that Yugi gave you a few of his cards."

"Oh, yeah, he did," said Yumi. She took her deck out of her back pocket and showed Mai the card on the bottom of the deck.

"Oh," said Mai. "That's Yugi's Dark Magician. But…he would never part with that card."

"This is the one Pegasus gave him," said Yumi, starting at the magician. Yugi's Dark Magician was armored in purple and had fair white skin. While the one he gave Yumi was donning black armor with neon blue trim. His skin was blue, and his hair was silvery white. "He gave me a few more cards to help me out," said Yumi.

"How are his magicians going to aid your Exodia cards?" Mai asked. "No offense, but I think that's going to ruin the flow of your deck. I mean, you've got three copies of those Exodia cards in there, a feat which still amazes me by the way."

Yumi shrugged. "I'm going to have to figure that out sooner or later. I mean, I still have the rest of the year in Rosenkruz to figure out what to do."

Someone knocked on the door.

Mai turned her head toward the direction of the door, still chewing the food. "Who do you suppose?" she asked, stuffing a pepperoni in her mouth. She wiped her mouth with a red napkin and got out of her seat, causing the cutlery to jingle.

She opened the door. "Cora?" she said.

Yumi swallowed a big wad of food and got up from the table at once. She hurried to the door to see the girl who was Kaiba's daughter.

"Hello, Miss Mai," said Cora. "I was wondering if…" Yumi came into view behind Mai. "Oh, Yumi!"

"Can I help you?" Mai asked. "Does your dad know you're out here, hun?"

"He doesn't," said Cora. "And even if he did, he wouldn't care. Anyways, I was wondering if I could borrow Yumi for a while."

Mai looked back at Yumeko. Then she returned to look at Cora and smirked. "You look spiffy by the way, Cora. You asking her out on a date?"

Cora looked like someone grabbed her in the gut. She shook her head, her sierra-colored hair waving behind her back. "No! No! Nothing like that. I just thought since our fathers know each other so well, perhaps we could, too."

"So I see," said Mai. "A little girl's night out by the looks of things. Well, if you want to borrow my girl for the night, so be it. Just make sure nothing happens to her out there. I read in the papers that a group of extremists are running amok out there."

Cora bowed her head. "You have my word Yumi will be brought back safe and sound, Miss Mai."

Mai chuckled. "Just Mai, hon, Yumi, are you up for hanging out with Cora tonight?"

Yumeko fixed her hair with her hands as she bit her bottom lip. She nodded her head. "I…sure. I'd love to."

"Great," said Cora. "Bring your deck. I heard there's some strange stuff going on in the cemetery just outside of Takahashi Square."

"Goodbye, Mai," said Yumeko. "I'll be back before midnight."

"You're not a little girl, hun," said Mai. "Come back whenever you like. Besides, I'm going to hit the clubs tonight. It's been a while since I just let myself loose, what with the war going on."

"The clubs don't sound like a bad idea," said Cora. "Maybe we can go together after we investigate that stuff in the cemetery, Yumi. Oh, pardon me. Do you like to go with Yumi or Yumeko?"

"Whatever's fine with me," said Yumeko.

Cora smiled. "I'll stick with Yumi then. It sounds cuter. I think it matches with your father's name. Well, let's get going then."

She turned and waved goodbye to Mai. Mai kissed Yumeko in the forehead and let her off with a playful pat in the derriere.

The elevator ride down to the first floor was silent and awkward. Both girls said nothing to each other as they tried to find the right things to say. Once it came to a stop, they went down the large atrium and out into the city. Yumeko stared wide-eyed at all the neon lights and the glimmering windows of the skyscrapers above.

"Now, what was this you were saying about a cemetery?" she asked.

"There have been reports of three ghouls stalking around. Those who have seen them somehow leave behind their cards and their Duel Disks. If you ask me, I think there's more of greed than of grave in this matter."

"I can't help but get the feeling you're right," said Yumi. "Why would undead ghouls want cards?"

"There's only one way to find out," said Cora. She smacked Yumi hard on the rump. "Come on, let's go."

Yumi stood there wondering what just happened before she got her legs to start working again, and followed Cora.

* * *

"Hello!" the Duelist called out, clutching his Duel Disk tightly in his grasp. Though the skyscrapers lit the night over the trees, it did little to calm his nerves; for he was walking about an abandoned cemetery within the Dragon Gardens District.

"Hello! Hello!" he cried out again. "There's no Duelists here," he said. "It must have been some kind of prank."

A crow took off from the bushes next to his foot. The cawed eerily as it took off into the sky towards the three moons above.

"Would you look at me?" said the Duelist. "I'm scared of a little crow. Hey bird brain, why don't you watch it will ya!"

The ground beneath his feet began to rumble. The Duelist felt his entire body freeze when a festering hand rose out of the dirt. Being an Eldori, the Duelist made awkward expressions with his face. The owner of the hand finally came out. "Mu-ha-ha-ha-ha!" the undead ghoul laughed once he pulled himself from out of the earth. "Abandon all hope, all who enter here!"

The Duelist backed away and hit something. Something large and bulky. He looked up and saw an even larger zombie grinning down at him. "Goin' somewhere?" it asked him.

The Duelist screamed and tumbled forward towards the set of tombstones where an even skinnier zombie came out. "Oy, lovely night, eh?" it said.

The Duelist shrieked again and fell to the ground. The three zombies came at him, moaning and groaning as they stalked towards him with their arms up. They surrounded the Duelist. The smallest zombie laughed. "This is your last chance. Give us your Duel Disk or perish!"

He could not argue with that. The Duelist flung his Duel Disk off his arm and ran away from the cemetery screaming: "HELP! HELP! THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED!"

When he was gone, the three zombies laughed hysterically. The short one pulled his face off. A mask. And underneath it was the morbid-looking face of Bonz the Zombie Duelist.

"This gets better and better every time," he said with a sneer.

"He was wimpier dan da last guy," said the tall zombie, who was Bonz's muscle, Zigor.

The skinny one, Cid, sniggered. "Oy mates, just a few more o' dese and we'll have spooked our way back to that island."

"Dat's right," said Zigor. "And once we get enough money to sail to Duelist Academy, all O' dere rare cards will be all ours."

"Indeed," said Bonz. "With this deck full of rare and powerful zombie monsters, there's going to be no stopping us."

A flock of crows took off into the sky near the entrance of the cemetery.

"Oy, boss," said Cid. "Looks like we've got another sucker headin' this way."

Zigor slammed his fist on his palm. "They better have a Duel Disk on 'em. 'Cause if dey don't, den tings are gonna get ugly."

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

The crickets chirped in an eerie chorus from the dense curtains of grass at their feet. Cora looked around impatiently for the so-called 'Duelists' to come out. The bottom of their shoes crunched on the dead leaves blanketing the dirt path in dreary pastels of brown, gray, and red. Yumi shined her flashlight in front of them. Though they were still in the summer season, the graveyard was unnaturally cold, especially for Yumi since she was clad in a yellow mini-skirt. The chill stung her exposed legs from the knee up. Below that, she was somewhat warmed by her black knee socks. Still, she had on a black tank top with a Chibi Dark Magician Girl on the front surrounded by glow-in-the-dark hearts and that caused her to shiver; for it felt like winter's kiss was harassing her arms.

"You okay there, kiddo?" Cora asked, stepping over a grave marker on the ground.

Yumeko scoffed. "If I would have known this place was so cold, I would have worn something a little proper."

Cora laughed. "Don't worry, Yumi, once we find these losers we can go. I'm sure a little dancing at the White Dragon will warm you up a bit."

"What's the White Dragon?" Yumi asked, shining her light at a crumbling mausoleum covered with dead, brown vines.

"An exclusive club in downtown Domino," said Cora. "My father opened it two years ago and reserved it for only the best Duelists in the world. Naturally, since I'm his daughter, I have VIP access to the place. And, since you're with me now, I'll have the bouncers let you in."

"You'd do that for me?" Yumi asked. "Well, I don't know what to say, Miss Kaiba. Thanks."

Cora looked back at her with a light grin at the corner of her mouth. "Just call me Cora. And of course, I'd do it for you, not because you're the daughter of the King of Games, but because I'm kind and generous." She shrugged. "And I think you're cute."

"Well, don't let those looks deceive you, Cora," said Yumi. "I'm a capable fighter, and, I was a blacksmith before my father found me and brought me here." She flexed her muscles on her arm and even lifted her shirt a little to show off her core.

"Damn, girl," said Cora. "You're pumped full of iron."

"Thanks," said Yumi. She paused when she heard the rustling of leaves coming from in front of them. "Shh, did you hear that?" she asked.

"Yeah, I did," said Cora, opening her hand and casting a ball of blue and white fire over her palms. "Stay close to me, baby, I think we've got company."

Yumi shrieked when her torch illuminated a giant lummox coming straight for her. Cora grabbed on her, in case she felt the need to flee.

"Uuuuhhh," moaned a short zombie.

"Rrrroooow," said the larger one.

"Brains!" said the skinny ghoul.

"Give us your Duel Disk," said the short one.

Cora couldn't help but laugh, despite most of her body was frozen in fear. "You've got to be kidding? What would the undead want with Duel Disks?"

"I'll show you!" the giant zombie said taking a great leap for the girls.

Yumi took a mighty bound into the air and whacked the zombie away with a powerful spinning kick to his bulky gut. The zombie fell backward and landed hard on the ground. Cora lunged for the skinnier one, grabbed him by the wrist, and threw him over her shoulder.

The shorter one did not budge, wondering what just happened.

"Oy, boss," the skinny zombie groaned in pain. "We got the shit beat out of us."

"Nice," said Cora, grabbing Yumi's shoulder. "You do have some fight in you."

"Good to see you can take care of yourself, too," said Yumi. "As for you three morons, what is the meaning of this?"

The short zombie removed his mask when he realized the two girls could see past his ruse. "All right," he said. "You may have gotten past our little prank, but that doesn't mean you two are out of the woods yet."

"Well, well," said Cid, sitting back up and removing his mask. "Our next victims are cute ones. There's no way we're gonna let you two lovelies get away."

"Put your hands on us, and I'll break your bones," said Cora.

"Ey, wait a minute," said Zigor. "I seen dat girl on the news. She's Seto Kaiba's daughter."

Cid Oohed while Bonz snickered through his nose, bobbing his head up and down like a bobblehead toy.

"Ah, so she is," said he. "If I'm not mistaken, you've got rare copies of your father's Blue-Eyes White Dragons in your deck. This is perfect, I did not think such tantalizing prey would take our bait. And who's your friend?"

"She's Yumeko Muto," Cora said.

"OH!" all three of the thieves said.

"Muto did you say?" said Cid. "As in Yugi Muto?"

"That's impossible," said Bonz. "Yugi Muto was never married or had an affair with anyone."

"Who cares, boss," said Zigor. "Remember the talk around town? She beat Dr. Crowler with the legendary Exodia."

Bonz's greed began to wet his mouth. "Oh, I told you guys this would all be worth it. Not only do we have ourselves the Blue-Eyes White Dragon caught in our net, but now we have the girl with the Exodia cards."

"Boss, you never steer us wrong," said Zigor, punching his palm again. "And on top o' havin' doze rare cards, we got ourselves a couple of beauties to play with."

"Yeah," Cid agreed. "And not just any girlies. We caught the daughters of Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba. I know a guy in town who'd pay big for you two."

"You mean you want to sell us?" said Cora. "That's sick!"

"You wouldn't dare!" said Yumi.

"Do you want this place to be your grave, you big lummox?" said Cora, cracking her knuckles.

"There will be no need for that, Cid," said Bonz. "Those dragons and those Exodia cards will set us up for life. So, what do you say? Which one of you will go first?"

"I will," said Cora.

"You?" Yumi asked.

"I was the one who demanded we come here," said Cora. "And no offense to you, Yumi, but I think we'll have a better chance of keeping our stuff if I was the one who dueled."

"Suit yourself," said Yumi. "Good luck."

"I don't need luck," said Cora. "Watch and learn, kid." She slapped Yumi's rump again and walked forward as she activated the Duel Disk her father gave her. It was dark blue and black with glowing blue patterns. And when she activated it, a holographic blade digitized making techy beeping sounds.

"Nice Duel Disk!" said Bonz. "I call dibs on it if you lose."

"That's not going to happen, zombie boy," said Cora.

"DUEL!" they both shouted after Bonz activated his macabre-designed Duel Disk.

**LP 4000**

"Mua-ha-ha-ha," Bonz laughed. "I'll go first." He drew. "Arise, from the grave, Armored Zombie!"

Bonz slapped his card onto his Duel Disk. The ground beneath his torn and dirty sneakers began to quake. From the chunks of earth, a hand, colored in moldy green flesh, rose out and pulled out the owner. An undead samurai rose out of the muck, moaning and groaning. The arrows that killed him in battle were still stuck on his back. (ATK 1500)

Bonz laughed. "And thanks to the new rules Seto Kaiba set up, monsters will get a field power bonus depending on the terrain that they're in. And since we're in a cemetery, my zombies will get a 300-point boost in their attack. Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha!" (ATK 1500 + 300 = 1800)

"Ha! Ya got her on the ropes now, boss," said Cid. "With that field power bonus, your zombies are all but unstoppable."

"I set two cards, face down, and end my turn," said Bonz. "Make your move, Little Kaiba."

"Is that all you could muster?" Cora said mocking the monster. "You're not going to last long if that's your opening move. DRAW!" she swiped her card from the top of her deck. "Since I have no monsters, I can special summon this to the field. Go, Kaiser Vorce Raider!" (ATK 1900).

The attack points and the look of Cora's monster caused Bonz to gulp. It was only going to get worse; for she could still normal summon a monster, and she chose it rather quickly."

"I summon Assault Wyvern!" she called out summoning a blade-winged dragon with armored flesh that was as black as a stealth fighter jet (ATK 1800).

Cora ordered the attack, and her beastly Kaiser Vorce Raider charged at Bonz's monster first. Bonz formed a vampiric grin and pressed a button on his Duel Disk to activate a trap.

"Ah, ah, ah," said Bonz. "You've activated my Trap Card. Wall of Disruption! This card will decrease the attack of all your attack position monster by 800 points for each monster you control. Now your puny Kaiser Vorce Raider and Assault Wyvern will lose 1600 of their attack points making them feeble against my zombies." Bonz laughed at the moon. "Armored Zombie, counter attack! Ancient Blade Strike!"

The Armored Zombie blocked the weakened Kaiser Vorce Raider's attack and sliced him in half. His attack points went down to 1300 as Cora's Life Points dropped to 2500.

Cora growled, shielding herself from the shattered remains of her Kaiser Vorce Raider.

"Duuuh, what happened, boss?" Zigor asked.

"Yeah," said Cid. "'Ow did your zombie lose five 'undred o 'his attack points?"

"I don't know," said Bonz, tapping the holographic stats over his Duel Disk. "His points were just fine a second ago."

"It's a result of my Kaiser Vorce Raider's special ability," said Cora. "When he's destroyed in battle, the monster who beat him loses 500 attack points."

"Ha, no matter," said Bonz. "Because I'm activating my second face-down card. SKULL INVITATION! This nasty trap takes away 300 points to the player who sends a card to the Graveyard. And since your Kaiser Vorce Raider went ta-ta, you take another 300 points of damage."

A shadow fiend slithered out of the card. He slashed Bonz across the chest, for he discarded his Wall of Disruption after it's effect was done. But it was just a scratch. The fiend soared over to Cora and began to strangle her. Cora screamed, feeling her Life Points get drained out of her beating heart.

"CORA!" shouted Yumeko.

The fiend laughed villainously and went back into his card.

"Are you okay?" Yumeko asked.

"I'm fine, Yumi," said Cora. "We're just getting started here. Don't worry. I play the Spell Card, Block Attack, and switch my Assault Wyvern to defense mode. Next, I will set a card face down, and end my turn."

**Cora-2200 LP**

**Bonz-3700 LP**

"It's your turn, boss," said Zigor.

"Yeah, you got 'er now!" cheered Cid.

Bonz laughed in agreement as he drew. "And here I thought you were going to be a challenge. I'll be perfectly frank, my dear, you're quite possibly my easiest opponent yet. You're no Kaiba. Just a pretty little girl with three copies in her deck. And you underestimated me the whole time. HA! I'll teach you to disrespect my zombies; for here comes another! Behold, the Goblin Zombie!"

Bonz summoned a shrieking mutant with red flesh and bony armor the color of fool's gold. It carried a curved sword with a gold handle (ATK/1100 DEF/1050). Confident, Bonz activated a Pot of Greed card which let him draw two cards. His horrible eyes widened when he saw what he drew.

"YES! Watch as I summon a monster who will send shivers down your spine. I play Polymerization, fusing together from my hand the Snake Hair and Dragon Zombie! Behold, the Great Mammoth of Goldfine!"

A colossal skeleton of a mammoth made entirely of gold stomped out of the fusion vortex. It bellowed unnaturally since it didn't have any organs to make a sound (ATK/2200 DEF/ 1800).

"This is it!" said Bonz. "Prepare to surrender your Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Exodia cards to us! For after this attack, it's all over! First, I will have my Goblin Zombie attack your Assault Wyvern!"

The zombie flashed his sword dramatically and sped towards Assault Wyvern, cutting it across the chest. Because Cora lost a card, the fiend from the Skull Invitation card emerged and drained her of more Life Points.

"And now!" said Bonz. "I won't leave my poor Armored Zombie out of the fun! Armored Zombie, attack her Life Points directly."

"I don't think so!" shouted Cora. "I activate my trap card, Rope of Life."

Zigor stepped back. "Oh no! Not dat card! Hey, wait a minute. I never hoyde of dat card before."

Cora didn't find that all surprising. "This card will only work so long as I discard my entire hand to the Graveyard."

Zigor loved the struggle she had trying to keep the creature from choking her of 1200 of her Life Points. He clenched his fist together, loving every second of her agony. "Dat's it! Squeeze the Life Points outta her!"

The fiend let her go, dropping her hard on the ground. Her Life Point counter dropped to 700 Life Points. Cora coughed before she stood back up on her feet.

"Hope you had your fun," she said. "Because Rope of Life brings back a monster from my Graveyard, but with 800 extra attack points."

Bonz and his gang gasped together in shock as a rope slithered from an opening in the heavens and pulled the Assault Wyvern back up with 2600 attack points.

"Armored Zombie, stop!" shouted Bonz. But it was too late. Assault Wyvern cut the zombie to ribbons. With the loss of Polymerization, Pot of Greed, Dragon Zombie, Armored Zombie, and Snake Hair, Bonz lost 1500 Life Points thanks to the fiend from Skull Invitation. He was still in the lead…for now.

Cora glanced back at Yumi and gave her a wink. "Now that Assault Wyvern as successfully destroyed a monster, I can tribute him to summon a dragon-type monster from my hand or Graveyard. Arise, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Bonz shouted and fell to the ground, landing on his butt. The dragon flew down from the sky and illuminated the cemetery with its radiant light.

"Still want to attack?" Cora asked confidently.

"NO!" shouted Bonz. "OH NO THIS CAN'T BE!"

"I'll take that as the end of your turn," Cora twittered. "Draw!" She smiled and laughed like her father. "Oh, I am so good. Behold, the Ritual Spell Card: Chaos Form! Now, I will tribute my Blue-Eyes White Dragon to ritual summon the all-powerful Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon!"

"AUUGH!" shouted Bonz, Cid, and Zigor.

A great flash of fantastic light lit up the darkness like the blast of a thousand suns. Yumi stared at the creature in awe. She knew that one day she would have to contend with it, and it worried her. With a whopping 4000 attack points as its stats, Cora feared that perhaps her Exodia Incarnate would not be enough to stand up to it.

Cora held out her arm and commanded her great beast to unleash his fury on all Bonz's monsters. A powerful explosion sent Bonz and his gang flying into a thorny bush. And just like that, the clouds over the cemetery dispersed and the light of the moons and the stars above shined their radiance on the cemetery. The land of where the dead rested seemed to glow as if the spirits of those buried there had at last found peace and descended into the Gardens above.

"You-you did it!" said Yumi. "That was incredible."

Cora scoffed. "You don't have to tell me," she said arrogantly. "I know I'm incredible."

Yumi's delighted expression turned into annoyance. Even she felt Cora's statement was too much.

"Ow! Ow!" shouted Bonz from inside the bush.

"Scoot over will ya!" cried Cid. "Ow who is that?"

"Who do ya think?" shouted Zigor.

Cora snickered at the sight. "Come on, baby," she said. "Let's get out of here before those creeps get back on their feet. If they do, they'll never let us leave."

"No arguments there," Yumi said.

"That's what I like to hear," Cora said smacking Yumi's posterior again and leading her out of the cemetery.

* * *

The music thundered across the dance floor, pumping the blood of the young partygoers with adrenaline. Colorful lasers and strobe lights flashed all around them. The DJ was in his both wearing a set of jet-black armor with neon blue trim. He danced around to the beats he was creating on his laptop. Up on small stages and cages suspended on the ceiling, scantily clad dancers tantalized the males in the crowd.

The crystal chandeliers and ancient Norman architecture of the club added a sense of sophisticated class to the raunchiness of the youngsters, all of whom were some of the most elite Duelists in Termnnia. A waterfall with multi-colored lights illuminating behind it fell into a river where those who brought their swimwear chose to party the night away. A hologram of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, of whom the club was named after, stood in the center of the river roaring and snarling along to the music. Seto Kaiba's exclusive club was five floors of dancing and drinking and other forms of debauchery hidden in the dark corners of the club.

On the second floor, Yumeko watched the dancers on their stages and the partiers jumping up and down to the hard music booming from the speakers all around the club.

"Just because the school is expecting us to be rivals doesn't mean we should hate each other, Yumeko!" Cora shouted over the loud music. She held onto a diamond-shaped glass of an alcoholic beverage that was glowing neon blue. "I really like you a lot. You're not so bad I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship. When he head back to Rosenkruz, I'll introduce you to the girls. They're going flip when they find out who you are. Trust me, they're really going to like you."

"I really like you, too," Yumi said. "I am going to expect more of this if I'm to be your friend?"

"You're going to get all this and more, baby!" said Cora. "I can get you anywhere, you know. Hell, Duelist Academy has some pretty-hard-to-get-into clubs of its own. Since I'm Seto Kaiba's little girl, they open the doors for me as though I was Queen Evangelia herself. But you. Since you're the daughter of the King of Games, they're going to treat you like a goddess."

"Oh, Cora," Yumi said blushing. "I'm no goddess."

Cora smiled at her modesty. "I'll make sure that they treat you like one. If anybody thinks twice about disrespecting you, Yumi, I will make them pay. You know, you and me are not all that different. I know what it's like not to have a family. A while back, I was nothing but a homeless bum wandering the streets of Eredas, looking for a bite to eat and some cards to add to my pathetic deck. If I had no money, well, I had to offer up my sweet little ass for a few coins, if you know what I mean."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Yumi. "It must have been a hard life."

Cora sipped her drink. "Oh, it was," she said, setting down the glass. "Then one day, Lady Luck decides to kiss me, and I walk into this diner for a slice of pie. That's where I found my father. He took me in, gave me my dragons, and now look where I am? Yumi, I want the same for you, my friend. And if you need help with your deck, you be sure to let me know. I can get you any card you want. If you need me to find a Number Card, I can do it for you, believe me. I have a few contacts out there who can get their hands on some sweet cards."

"You'd do that for me?" Yumi asked again. "Why?"

"Our fathers are legends, babe," Cora replied. She poured herself another drink. "And you know, they may have lit the stage back in their day, but this is our time now! Some have come to call this the GX era - Generation Next, if you're wondering what those letters stand for. We may be friends, Yumi, but we're still rivals; we have a legacy to continue. Our fathers are too busy to Duel anymore. Your father tries to keep Termnnia from plunging into more war, and mine has a company and his own little kingdom to maintain. I want you to be at your best, Yumi, got it? If you need anything, anything at all. Come to me. I'll take care of you."

Yumi nodded with determination. She and Cora tapped their glasses together and chugged down the glowing blue liquid.

"Wanna dance?" Cora asked, getting out of her seat.

Yumi smiled and nodded. She, too, got up. "I thought you'd never ask. It looks hot down there."

"That's what I like to hear," Cora said, slapping Yumi's rump again. "Let's go!"

Down the glass stairs, they went to the main dance floor and they had the time of their lives. An individual handing out glowing party favors passed by, and the two of them took neon rings to put around their necks. They danced for over an hour before going to the nearest bar for a drink.

"I didn't think a girl from fairytale land had it in her," said Cora, resting her arm against the counter. She was sweating and breathing heavily. "You're wild, Yumi."

"I don't know what came over me," said Yumi, wiping sweat off her chest with a napkin. "This music is so…beautiful and amorous. It feels like I've been put under a spell. I can't help but to get close and touch someone."

"Yeah, I noticed," Cora laughed, paying the bartender with a Silver Sword. "You started bumping a little close to me."

"Sorry about that," said Yumi.

"Hey, don't sweat it," Cora said, handing her a drink. "That's what these places are for. So, think you're up for another round? Or are you ready to head home?"

"I don't feel like heading home, to be honest," Yumi said, taking a sip of her drink. "I could be in here forever."

"Oh, baby, I know what you mean," said Cora. "Unfortunately, even these establishments have their closing time."

"How long do we have?" Yumi asked.

"The place doesn't close until dawn. It's still just after midnight. You think you have what it takes to stay here the whole night?"

"Try me," said Yumi.

Cora's mouth went open with an amused laugh. "Holy shit! You're dangerous, child! I love it."

"Well, well, well," said a suave-looking Eldori in his early twenties. He was accompanied by another Eldori youth. Both almost looked the same. One had black hair and a black jacket, while the other had brown hair and green jacket. (**Jay and David. Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Links**).

"Look who it is," said the black-haired youth, who went by the name, David. "If it isn't Cora Kaiba and Yumi Muto. See, buddy, I told you the White Dragon was THE place to find hot Duelists."

"No kidding," his friend, Jay, agreed. "This is going to be very interesting."

"What do you want?" Cora asked. "You know what, never mind. Get lost."

"We figured you might say that," said David. "How's about a little Duel? We win, we take you home. Both of you."

"You've got to be kidding?" said Yumi. "Who the fuck do you think you are making us ante ourselves up like that? We're human beings, not some trinket for you to bet on. Are all the guys in Domino such pigs?"

"Why don't we teach them a lesson they won't forget, Yumi," said Cora. "Use that anger in our Duel against them. Huh, what do you say?"

"I'm not going to play their game, Cora. This is so wrong."

"Yumi, you really think we're gonna lose this game?" Cora asked. "I thought you had more confidence in yourself than that."

"I am confident in my skills," said Yumi. "But these two bastards are not worthy of my time."

"Your father never backed down from a challenge," said Cora. "So why should you? Come on, Yumi, these guys look like total pushovers."

Yumi smiled and then nodded her head, agreeing to the game. There was an arena near the back of the club that was open for anyone who wanted a quick round. And a quick round it was. The partygoers stopped dancing and gathered round to watch a match no one thought would be possible to see. The daughters of Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba in a tag team match.

"DUEL!" the DJ shouted from his booth and he intensified the music to match with the ferocity of the game.

Poor Jay and David. They ran a generic beat-down deck with monsters that had more than 1500 attack points. Earlier in the game, Cora summoned Saggi the Dark Clown and infected him with the Crush Card Virus, spelling doom for all of Jay and David's monsters, forcing them to summon weaker creatures who would normally be used as a tribute to summon something bigger. But the Crush Card Virus rendered them useless; for if they were played on the field, the virus would immediately destroy them. For the next five turns, Cora harassed Jay and David with her Kaiser Vorce Raider, while Yumi was quick to summon a Dark Magician of Chaos, which could banish monsters from the game instead of sending them to the Graveyard.

They both could have ended the game many turns ago, but they were having so much fun torturing the two chauvinists. Soon, Cora had three Blue-Eyes White Dragons in her hand and she fused them together to form Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

Two turns later, Yumi summoned the head of Exodia and sacrificed it to summon her ultimate beast. The Legendary Exodia Incarnate.

The crowd took out their phones and took pictures of the event. Neo Ultimate Dragon and Exodia together was quite the sight to see. Cora and Yumi took their time with Jay and David, ripping their cards apart piece by painful piece. The game went for so long, that all four players had few cards in their decks. By that time, Cora and Yumi began their final assault. First, Jay was decimated by the Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. His Life Points fell to 0 as he was knocked back into the river with a great splash, followed by cheers from the other partiers. David babbled in fear as Exodia looked at him dangerously. He tried to surrender and run, but he was boxed in by the other partygoers.

"EXODIA!" Yumi shouted. "OBLITERATE!"

Exodia charged his attack and blasted David into the river to join Jay in a swim of shame. Everyone in the club cheered. Yumi and Cora took a bow, hand in hand. It was at that moment, that Yumi felt she made the right choice going with her father.


	22. Anarchy

**Cora**

* * *

"I hope you enjoyed your little holiday," Seto said, signing a few documents with a blue-feather quill.

The cityscape behind him made Cora yearn to get out of his office. It was a prison of monotony, worse still it was a museum to his own arrogance. Everywhere she looked, she saw mementos dedicated to himself and his past endeavors. There were photos of him shaking hands with Senators, Kings, Princes, and nobles. Numerous awards for Dueling and his company. The windows that offered a panoramic view of Domino made her toes curl. She wanted to get out. She wanted to go to school. which was due to start in the next couple of hours. The skyships in the air reminded her of Costa del Sol. She missed the white-sand beaches, the sweet smell, and taste of frozen daiquiris, and the comforting voice of Kasumi's Elvish housemaid.

"I hear you've run into a little trouble lately," Seto finally said, holding up the document. He blew on it, then folded it.

"Trouble?" Cora asked.

Seto froze and looked at her. He then stuffed the document into an envelope and sealed with purple wax before stamping it with the sigil of his House. "Yes, trouble. You can imagine my surprise when Ms. Goldwine told me she discovered a forum created specifically for discussing a bounty. A hefty bounty to take you down and claim your Blue-Eyes as a prize should you lose."

Cora crossed her legs and rolled her eyes. "Oh, that? Well, let's just say a certain Great House from the Rhodasian States forced me to marry their heir. And I beat that certain heir."

Kaiba sniggered. "Hmm. I figured Prince Clovis and his aunt had something to do with that. You know they're persistent? Those interested in that bounty will never stop hunting you until you lose, and the Blue-Eyes is his. So for your sake, you'd better not lose. Now that leaves me to another matter. Your allowance? What do you want to discuss?"

Cora sat up, feeling rather constrained being back in her academy uniform again. She straightened her tie and cleared her throat. "I thank you for it. A thousand gold Star Chips, plus an extra five hundred for every A Plus is very generous."

"Somehow I feel it's not enough to satisfy you," Seto said at once. He searched through a pile of papers for another form he needed to sign. "If this is about a raise, you can forget it. Ms. Goldwine told me your expenses went up within the last few days. Care to explain?"

Cora's eyes darted to the left. "I, um, I was buying booster boxes. Lots of booster boxes to reinforce the power of my deck. I mean, I have to, you know. There's a bounty up for my defeat."

Seto's eyes narrowed. He knew Cora was lying, but he played along with it. "Have you forgotten we have access to every card in the game? All you had to do was fill out a requisitions order and get the cards you need. It would have cost you less than scrounging around through booster boxes. That certainly didn't stop you last time?"

"I..."

"Your mind is clouded. Fogged up like a morning in the Storm Coasts. Perhaps it has to do with all that alcohol you consumed in Costa del Sol. Maybe it was a little much."

Seto reached into the pocket of his blazer to take out his phone and show her a clip from a talk show hosted by an all-female panel discussing the latest celebrity gossip. They revealed a viral video of Cora and her friends drinking heavily at a seaside bar on the last night of their trip. They drank and they drank until...the video cut to them screaming wildly as they undressed and ran to the water for late-night skinny dipping. Drunken buffoons were cheering for them up on the pier as the girls splashed each other and swam around in the inky-black surf.

Cora shrunk in her seat as her father shut the phone and slammed it on his desk. "Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was to let my associates and investors know that was my daughter behaving like an imbecile? Need I remind you of the proud dragon residing in your deck? You rob him of his pride acting like this! Don't let it happen again or you'll leave with your dragons gone and my bootprint on your ass. GOT IT!"

That was the loudest 'Got it' Cora had ever heard in her life. She felt her bones vibrating. Her father's angry voice still echoed in the office for another few seconds that felt like hours.

She nodded, her face turning bright red. Her ears were heating up and she felt sweat coming out of every pore. "Yes, sir."

"Why should I give you more money? I already compensate you with a generous bonus for your grades and victories against top tier opponents."

Cora bit her lip, her mind racing with excuses to come up with. "It's complicated, daddy. I just need a little extra gold."

"You are not getting another chip from me, young lady," Kaiba declared with authority. "Not until you start behaving properly. Even with those dragons in your arsenal, with an attitude like yours, you're a third-rate Duelist with a fourth-rate deck!"

* * *

Ms. Goldwine was leaning against the wall across from the double-mahogany doors to Seto's office. She drummed her fingers on her arms, her foot was tapping impatiently on the green-carpeted floor. Finally, the doors opened. Cora slid the strap of her backpack over her shoulder and placed her beanie over her head.

"Don't say anything, please!" She walked down the hall.

Ms. Goldwine followed. "I told you time and time again, that you need to start acting like a proper lady, Cora." Cora kept walking. "STOP!" Barbra shouted.

Cora rolled her eyes, blew a lock of hair off her face with the corner of her mouth, and slowly turned.

"Take off your jacket," Ms. Goldwine commanded.

Cora groaned and did as she was told, dropping her academy blazer on the floor unceremoniously. "There. Happy?"

"The blouse, too. I want to see if it's true. Well? Come on!"

Cora unbuttoned her blouse, all the while giving Barbra a stone-cold stare. She removed it, then turned so Ms. Goldwine could see the scrollwork butterfly tattoo on the back of her shoulder. And there was another tattoo on her lower back with four stars and curvy lines.

Ms. Goldwine felt her blood boiling. She believed she failed Seto in teaching Cora proper etiquette. "Inconceivable! Is it permanent?"

"Duh."

Ms. Goldwine grabbed Cora by the wrist and forcefully turned her around.

"OW!" Cora shouted. "What the hell Miss..."

"BE SILENT! Have I taught you nothing, young lady!? Have you forgotten what family you represent? What you hold in your deck? The Blue-Eyes White Dragon isn't just some rare trading card. It is the pride of this House. The pride of your father, who made copies of the beast for a worthy Duelist. That Duelist being you! It's a dragon with a long and revered history in this world. Without them, we would still be scratching a living off rocks or be enslaved to the Scarlet Elves. Those dragons chose you for some odd reason. Honestly, I thought they were wiser than that. Nevertheless, show them respect and act as a Duelist worthy to control them! And your father is the most respected man in this entire region. Even Kings go to him for aid. Do you know what would happen if you continue acting like a delinquent?"

"Delinquent!" Cora yelled, yanking her wrist free from Ms. Goldwine's grip. She picked up her blouse and put it on. "It was just a bit of fun," she said, buttoning it back up. "For the sake of the Goddesses, everyone around her needs to lighten up! Maybe I don't want to be a proper lady! Maybe I don't want to do curtsey to Lords and Ladies. I don't want to be some primped up princess! I want to be ME! Why is that so hard?"

Ms. Goldwine placed both fists on her hips. "You call getting drunk and disrobing to entertain a mob of perverts fun, Ms. Cora? If you continue to have a mindset like that, you won't be in this house for long!"

"I guess not," said Cora. "Feel free to kick me out whenever you please. Stop talking to me! I have to go to school!"

"You can't keep her secret for long, Cora," Ms. Goldwine said, forcing Cora to stop. "Even with the allowance you get from Seto, it won't be enough to cover the expenses to keep Krissa."

Cora sighed, gripping the strap of her backpack. "I'll think of something."

Ms. Goldwine scoffed. "You'd best do it quick. That's not a cheap room at the local arms you've bought her."

Cora made a quick about-face to look at Ms. Goldwine. "Is there anything you can do to help?"

"After that debauchery at the beach, I don't feel like I do want to help you. You'd better get to class before you run late. Goodbye."

* * *

**December 8th**

**Year 18 4AOS**

**Six months until Yuri's return**

* * *

With another hour left before school started, Cora picked up Krissa from her apartment in the King's District and drove her to the pier to have a quick breakfast of coffee and bagels. Of course, Cora, being Cora, had a carton of chocolate milk instead.

"You must really be making daddy proud if he got you a car like this."

"He didn't," Cora replied, searching for her food. "Prince Michael gave it to me."

Krissa blinked to hide her shock. "The Crown Prince of Eredas? Whatever for?"

Cora giggled. "Why else? He wanted to welcome the daughter of Seto Kaiba. That's not all I got from him. I got a truckload of cards from the Gold Series. He said I needed a little bling for my deck." She shrugged. "I don't care really, but there are a lot of good reprints in this one. Wanna help me open a few?"

"Sure." Krissa blew on her coffee and set it down on the cup holder between their seats. She looked out the window and saw a sprinkle of snowflakes against the burning sunrise behind the sea. "I don't understand. So far to the south, we shouldn't be getting snow."

"Blizzard Dragons," Cora replied. "It's their mating season, you know? There are like a hundred of them nesting on the Indigo Ridge. Ms. Goldwine said that they like to fuck up the weather around this time of year. They create blizzards and snowstorms to attract mates, which leads to the sudden change in our climate. Not that I mind. I actually kind of like this."

"Interesting," Krissa said. "You know, I sort of enjoy it as well." She took the box of cards from Cora. "Oooh, I love the packaging in this. They look like boxes of chocolate. So, is it true, Cora? Yugi Muto has a daughter?"

"Yeah. I hung out with her last night. I would have invited you over, but you were nowhere to be seen. I phoned you like ten times and sent you more than a dozen texts. What happened, honey?"

Krissa gulped and sat up in her seat. "I, uh, I was in the middle of something."

Cora chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. "There you go, there you go, always with your secrets. But let's not remind you who's paying your bills and keeping that roof over your head."

"Of course, of course. I'm not ungrateful for what you've done for me. But there are some things that are better left unsaid. Don't you worry, though. Once things are cleared up, I'll let you in on everything."

"You're so mysterious," Cora whispered. "I don't know, that's what I find so irresistible about you." She leaned towards her for a kiss, but Krissa turned her head making it nothing more than just a peck on the cheek. "Krissa. Be honest with me. We've been together for quite some time. I was wondering if —" She held Krissa's hand.

Krissa pulled it away as though she touched fire. "Cora, listen. I think you're a wonderful person. But...what happened between us back at the beach. It was so sudden. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate you bringing me here and giving me a home. All these gifts and your kindness is greatly appreciated, but I don't think I'm ready to commit to such a thing just yet."

Cora wrinkled her nose. "But you're okay kissing me."

"I can't help it," Krissa replied blushing. "It feels so good but it's so wrong. I just...I just don't know. Oh, don't think I'm ungrateful or anything. I just can't explain how I feel just yet."

"I understand," Cora said patting her hand. "Still, I'm quite befuddled that the Temple you claim to come from hasn't lent you any aid. What's going on, baby?"

"You wouldn't understand. Trust me, it's best to forget about my allegiance to it. It's best for the both of us."

"If you insist. Look, if you want, I promise I'll back off and give you some space and some time to think about all this. I really like your Krissa. The moment I saw you peering at me from behind that book...ugh! I can't explain it. I felt as if the Love Goddess sent her cherubs and told me to go to you."

"I admire you, Cora. All I wanted was to give you the Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon. But, like you, I felt something. You may be quick to jump on those feelings, dear, but I'm afraid I'm not as confident."

"Okay. Take all the time you want. I respect you, Krissa. I don't want to make you do anything that will make you feel uncomfortable."

"Thank you, Cora." She leaned toward Cora and kissed her cheek. "Well, I best be getting to that interview. Good luck in school today."

"Will you make it in time to see my Duel against Kasumi?"

"I will. Have a good day, my friend."

Cora grimaced at the word. _Friend. _She smiled and admired the jeans Krissa wore. "Nice butt," she commented.

Krissa turned and giggled, her cheeks turning an even darker shade of crimson. She turned nervously and walked away. When she was gone from sight, Cora drove to school. She parked her car on the third floor of the academy's parking garage and walked to campus. Upon seeing the school again, she felt her heart leap with excitement. Today was the day she and Kasumi would Duel to for the honor of Rank 1. As soon as that thought came to mind, the images of her nightmare flashed in her eyes. Was it a premonition? Perhaps the Goddesses were telling her not to do it or she would regret the outcome. No. She had come too far now to give up. This was the last 'test' she needed to complete before Seto Kaiba could finally get off her back.

As soon as she got out of her car, she noticed a large crowd of students around the fountain. Many were holding up cameras and notebooks. Suddenly, The Legendary Exodia Incarnate rose out and blasted a Knight of the Red Lotus with his Obliterate. When she got there, she saw Yumi, standing there trying to find a way to get far from the crowd, all of them eager to have a go at her. A young man and his girlfriend stepped forward and challenged her. At once they brought out their best monsters. The boy summoned Salamangreat Blaze Dragon and the girl was quick to summon Dark Armed, the Dragon of Annihilation.

Yumi retaliated by Pendulum Summoning Servant and Magister of Endymion. After a complex combination of spells, Yumi brought forth Selene, the Sacred Empress of Magic and Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic.

Cora stared at Yumi wide-eyed, wondering how in the hell she was able to use those Endymion magicians so quickly.

"Isn't she a natural?" Kasumi asked, walking behind Cora. Nixie, M, Amy, and Brandy joined in, all of them bundled up for the weather.

"So that's the daughter of Yugi Muto?" M said, rubbing his hands together. "Man, she's taller than her father."

"I guess so," Cora said, scratching her chin. "And being Yugi Muto's daughter, I was expecting her to run Dark Magician or something."

"Not her," Kasumi replied. She stopped speaking as soon as Selene and Endymion worked their magic to give Yumi the advantage. "She doesn't want to have a deck that's a carbon copy of her father's. She wants her own magicians. And she got Endymion. The Lord of all Magicians."

Amy pointed at Selene, who was powered up enough by a few spells and abilities to take down Dark Armed, the Dragon of Annihilation. "She's so pretty!" she exclaimed after the blast cleared up. "The King and Queen together on the field at once. But where's Exodia?"

"She's not going to be needing them anyway," Nixie replied, standing on the tips of her toes to see the Duel. "She's got those two love birds on the ropes with Selene and Endymion alone. And she's got the Reflection and Magister of Endymion in the Pendulum Zones. That's got to count for something."

"She's swarmed summoned like crazy since calling it out," said Brandy.

Endymion raised his staff, pointed it at Salamangreat Blaze Dragon and blew it to pieces. Cora silently exclaimed 'wow' and brushed a bit of hair off her face. "How does she make Exodia and Endymion work together so well?"

"Don't know," Kasumi replied with a shrug. "But she's pulling it off beautifully." She looked at Cora and giggled. "You know, I'd say your reputation is at stake with her on campus."

Cora could not dispute that remark. Yumi was good, and the fact that she had Yugi Muto's legacy running through her was an added bonus. "I guess so. She beat none other than Dr. Vellion Crowler just to get here."

"The chief of Madame Angelman's House, eh?" M said stroking his chin. "Man, it must suck being in their clan. Their best members defeated by the daughters of two of the best Duelists in the world."

Yumi won the Duel and her fellow students cheered. More would have challenged her, but the bells in the Cerulean Towers rang, signaling that it was time for the students to get moving and go to class."

Cora waved Yumi down, telling her to wait for them. She stopped. The students oohed and aahed when they saw her and Cora coming together and hugging. "So, how is life with Miss Mai?"

"Lots of rules to live by," Yumi answered. "But I'll adjust to it sooner or later. Are these your friends?"

Cora stood aside to show them to her. "Yeah, these are my friends. The ones I've been telling you about. Princess Kasumi, Amy, Brandy, Nixie, and our good pal, M."

"Interesting. How do you spell your name M?"

M paused. "M," he said. He shook her hand, then raised it to her lips and kissed it. "And might I add that this is a real pleasure. If you would have told me that I would be in a group with you two in it, I would have been very skeptical. You don't know...how I'm feeling right now, Miss Yumi."

"I must say the same," Nixie said, slowing parting M's hand from hers. "That's an interesting combo of monsters you've got there, Yumi. I do hope we can give me a chance to see it for myself in a Duel."

"I would love to. Just say the word. Miss Mai gave them to me when I refused to take the Dark Magician cards my father wanted to give me. I love them so much better."

Amy adjusted her glasses. "Aw, what a shame. It would have been interesting to see you use the Dark Magician. He's been getting loads of support lately."

"Not going to happen," Yumi said, tightening her pink scarf. "I'd rather walk my own path my own way. If Cora wants to use her father's Blue-Eyes, let her. My father and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye right now."

Cora razzed. "Yeah, twenty years and not a word. I thought even Yugi Muto knew better than that. Well, at least he's trying to make it up to you."

"If he thinks he can buy his way into my heart, he's a fool. Nothing he can do will..."

"Hold it!" Cora said, holding up her hand. "Stop right there, Yumi. You can't keep being sour about your dad like this. Yeah, what he did sucks but he risked a lot to come get you and to try and reconcile with you."

"He left me."

"So did your mom, but I don't see you complaining! Shit, girl, at least Yugi came back."

Yumi pursed her lips. She hated to admit it, but Cora had a point.

A familiar chuckle broke the awkward silence. "Well, well, well," Prince Clovis said, arriving with his group. He had a gold, diamond-studded, championship belt slung over his shoulder. The centerplate was engraved with beautiful scrollwork and crested with a lion head with blue neon lights on the eyes and mouth. "So the rumors are true. Yugi Muto's daughter is on her way to Duelist Academy. I saw your matches. You've got some skill."

"Some?" M almost shouted.

"Did we miss something while we were gone?" Kasumi asked. "That's the World Dueling Federation's championship title. You...you went pro?"

"I was always pro," Clovis said, brandishing the belt before Yumi and Cora.

Cora scoffed. "Must be a mediocre league if you're on top. I kicked you ass like a gazillion times."

"Have your moment, Cora. I'll let you have those victories. While you ladies were flashing your buns on the beach, I was hard at work on my Dueling skills. And my hard work paid off with this. I'm now the best duelist in the city."

"Hard work," Cora said with a roll of her eyes. "I bet your Auntie paid to get you into that league. I should know. My father owns it. He only wants the best. And you're not. You mean to tell me you hit the top in a matter of days."

"Damn right he did!" bragged one of Clovis's friends. "He did it all under a week because that's how damn good he is."

Clovis's grin stretched even wider. "Yes. I was able to climb the ranks with hard work. Something I don't expect you, privileged princesses would understand. And you, Yumi. Take a good look at this. This is the closest you'll ever get to a championship title. Just because your father is Yugi Muto, does not mean you can Duel like him. Of course, I can help you there. I need a pretty face to stand by my side at the top of the pedestal."

Yumi shook her head. "I'll pass."

Prince Clovis shrugged. "Have it your way, then. Ah, Princess Kasumi. Good luck to you in your match later today. I heard you two are going to battle for the title of rank one." He yawned. His breath coming out as a mist. "You kids have your fun, with your little games. Come along, men. We've got midterms to prepare for."

* * *

**Krissa**

* * *

"Thank you, kind sir," Krissa said, accepting a copper leaf from a kind. elderly, man, who purchased a purple dragon rose for his wife as a birthday present. It warmed her heart to know that after 100 years on this earth, they were still going strong and were by each other's sides. Even though the decay of time had worn out their bodies, it did nothing to chip away at their affection for one another. She sighed heavily, wondering if Ana would bless her love with Cora with a bond such as that. Would they marry? Would they be an elderly couple walking the streets of Domino hand in hand? She sure hoped so.

She watched them with glee as they trekked to cross the road, but it was blocked by a group of masked hooligans who were protesting the arrival of the Arch-Mage of the Citadel. They tried to cross the street, but three thugs walked up to the couple and blocked their way. The cowards wore masks, hoods, and balaclavas with red-lensed goggles to hide their faces. Their comrades behind them were holding up signs that read:

**DEATH TO THE MAGES!**

**YEYU HATES THE WEAK!**

**THE FIRES OF YEYU WILL BURN YOU!**

The masked protesters surrounded the couple, one of them knocked the woman's cane from her hands, forcing her to tumble towards her husband for support. They started to push them around. One of them knocked the man's fedora off his head with a slap and then spat in his face.

"Stop it!" shouted Krissa. "Leave them alone!"

"I wouldn't get involved with them, young lady," a man said from behind.

"Somebody has to help them!" Krissa protested.

The man would be of no help to her or the couple, for he was Alfred Knox. The Voice of Yeyu. He stood next to her and picked up one of Krissa's flowers, sniffing it. "These are healthy specimens," he said. "How much?"

Krissa saw the flaming eye pinned to his coat. She pleaded with the man. "Sir, we've got to help them."

"They should have known better than to step here during a DESMAGI battle."

"DESMAGI?"

"You are new to this city, aren't you?"

Krissa nodded.

"Yes, I can always tell," Alfred said, leading Krissa away from the nastiness of the protest going on. A couple of knights from the King's Aegis arrived and bashed the ruffians with their shields and then escorted the couple to safety. Three more knights came and held up their shields to protect them from stones, bricks, and other items being thrown by the ruffians.

"Oh dear," said Knox. "Prince Michael should know better than to send his knights here to rile them up. It only fuels their passion. Their organization is called Destroy Magic. There are many who would call my organization radical, but these dogs are another thing entirely. They will not fear in resorting to violence to spread their message to those who oppose the ways of the Church."

"Radicalization leads to more chaos," Krissa said. "Don't they know they're only hurting themselves acting like that?"

"Let them do as they please," said Alfred. "If there are consequences, they will suffer them. I sure hope so. I refuse to let criminal scum represent my Faith. Let's talk about you. What's your name, my dear?"

"Krissa."

"Krissa. If I'm not mistaken, that means Flower in the ancient tongues of the Vollantian people."

"Oh, you know about them I see."

"I know all there is to know about our history, child. Enough to know that you are no ordinary girl."

"I'm ordinary."

"Indeed," said Knox. "You be careful out there, love. These are dark times we live in. And I fear Prince Yuri will not be enough to quell the violence."

* * *

**Lore**

* * *

**The Currency of Termnnia**

* * *

**Currency in Termnnia is largely based on gold, silver, bronze, and copper coins. Gold Plates are coins the size of one's hand and are the highest value and much rarer. Kings, nobles, lords, famous Duelists, and well-renowned knights tend to use gold coins. The common folk use copper coins and silver or resort to trading if they haven't got any money. Duel Monster cards are humorously called Secondary Currency, for they can oftentimes be sold for their weight in gold. A Secret Rare card can be sold for 15 Gold. An Ultra-Rare card is 10. Ultimate Rares and Ghost Rares have been said to sell for 100 to 1000 Gold.**

**The standard currency of Termnnia was developed by the Bankers Guild in 1224 2 AOS shortly after the Norman Conquest of Termnnia.**

**Gold**

Gold Plates

Star Chips

Aegis

Crowns

Royals

Dragons

**Silver**

Silver Shield

Silver Sword

Silver Fang

Tiara

Dove

** Copper **

Stag

Maple

Leaf

Penny

Halfpenny


	23. Part 2: The Banner of Yeyu

**Cora**

* * *

* * *

_And so it finally begins._ Cora stood on the opposite side of the arena, watching as Kasumi put on her gloves. The crowd was almost silent. This was a match they have been anticipating since the beginning of the semester when Cora and Kasumi first met. It was a rocky meeting, but Kasumi had grown into somewhat of a best friend to Cora. Dare she say even a sister. But it was time to set all that aside for now. They were going to Duel. And at the risk of sounding as dramatic as her father, that meant she was at war. Kasumi seemed to know this; for that friendly smile she would always wear down the halls of Rosenkruz was gone. Replaced by an arrogant scowl. The face she would usually wear when beating some pompous rich kid who thought they had a chance taking her down.

Cora couldn't help but roll her eyes at that. That's exactly what she was right now. But it was going to be different this time. She wore a brand new watch that was glowing bright green. At the press of a button, the watch formed an arcane cybernetic ring that spun rapidly and formed into a black Duel Disk with a holographic blade illuminating the area around her with an eerie neon blue glow. And her hair was magically formed into a long ponytail. Good thing, too. This was about to get really messy.

Their friends watched from the front row, all of them anxious for the Duel to start.

Nixie couldn't help but form a grin when she saw what Cora's Duel Disk did to her hair. "Hmph. I wish my Duel Disk could do that. Those Kaibas always have the nicest toys."

M rubbed his hands together. "Oh, this is gonna be good! I've been waiting for those two to go at it for a long, long, time. Now it's time to see who the best Duelist in the school is."

"They both deserve it," Amy said, shivering with excitement. "They've worked so hard to get to the top."

"Cora is the one who deserves this," Brandy added. "Seto Kaiba has thrown so much at her to keep her down, but she prevailed. Got anything to say, Yumi? You're awfully quiet."

"I'll be fine. I haven't known either of them long enough to pick a who to root for. We'll just have to see who's the best with this Duel."

The coin was flipped. Kasumi was going first. She drew her first card and examined her hand to see her options. She liked what she had. It could have been better, but she felt it could stall Cora for a while. She performed a few Link Summons before she was able to bring out a majestic monster called Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess to the field. She was a very beautiful, and well-designed monster; a girl with, flowing, white hair, and cat ears, wielding a divine bow while riding atop of massive bear with spring-green fur.

"Ooooo," hooted Cora. "She's cute, Kasumi. Trade for her?"

"What? Are you out of your mind? I'm not going to trade her. Besides, you're a Kaiba. You can get like a hundred of these cards."

"Mmm, good point. Still, she's a looker."

Kasumi smirked. "Yes, she is beautiful, but it's her attack points you need to be focusing on. For every number of Link Material used to summon her, Apollousa gains eight-hundred attack points. As you saw, I used four monsters for a combined total of 3200."

"So you have. Is that all?"

"Yes, it is. Show me what you've got, Cora."

"With pleasure. May the best woman win. Draw! Woo, here we go! I summon Manju of the Ten-Thousand Hands. And I'll use his effect to..."

Kasumi held out her hand. "I think not. Apollousa's effect activates. I can decrease her attack by 800 and negate the effect of your monster."

Apollousa shot an arrow of light at the multi-armed creature, striking him in the chest. The arrow drained Manju of all his abilities. But Cora just smiled. "Damn. I reveal to you my Danger! Bigfoot! Now, you choose a card in my hand."

"I will not," said Kasumi. "I will drain another 800 points from Apollousa and negate your Bigfoot's effect.

"That's okay. I have another one. Are you going to negate him as well? I wouldn't if I were you. Leaving Apollousa with barely any attack points will be a really bad idea."

Kasumi knew she was right. She had no choice but to let the effect play out. Per, Bigfoot's effect, Kasumi had to pick a card for Cora to discard. Kasumi pointed and shouted: "The third from the left!"

"Good choice." Cora discarded the card. "Now, I get to draw a card and Special Summon Danger! Bigfoot! from my hand!"

A massive, ape-like creature jumped out from behind Cora, letting out a loud growl before he smashed his fists on the ground, shaking the arena. He was covered in long, jet-black hair. His flesh was greenish-blue and two spikes protruded from his shoulders. He thumped his fists on his chest and let out a loud roar.

**ATK/3000 DEF/0**

"Ooo, damn!" M said, holding his fist to his mouth. "Kasumi walked into that one. Look at the size of that thing."

"And that was just a Special Summon," Brandy added. "Cora has much more in store for the Princess. I can feel it."

She was right. The card Cora drew was just the one she needed. Ancient Rules. With it, she could Special Summon a Normal Monster from her hand. To no one's surprise. It was a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The legendary beast spread his wings and roared. His wings glittered in the light and his eyes were glowing, showing it was ready for battle. Cora attacked first with Bigfoot, dealing 1400 points of damage to Kasumi's Life Points.

"Arrrgh!" Kasumi shouted.

Then Blue-Eyes attacked next, sending Kasumi flying two yards across the arena. She landed on her back with a loud smack before she rolled to a stop.

**Kasumi - 3600 LP **

Kasumi picked herself up, all the while locking eyes with Cora. She straightened herself up, fixed her ponytail, and drew her card. She swarmed the field with her Tenyi Dragons and used them to Link Summon her ace. Berserker of the Tenyi.

This was it. This was the moment Cora was waiting for. Berserker of the Tenyi usually spelled doom for Kasumi's opponents. He appeared out of a column of fire and pumped up his fists, all the while flexing his muscles. He was a terribly stern monster. His ghostly eyes seemed to drill a hole in Cora's soul. The moment he appeared on the field, cherry blossom petals rained all around Kasumi. Beserker of the Tenyi stood over his young, beautiful master. He crossed his arms, proud to be fighting by her side. He seemed honored. Honored that he would have the chance to battle with the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

But they were evenly matched. Not that Cora used that as an excuse to be calm. She knew better than to rely on just attack points. That was something overly-confident scrubs did. Not Cora. She learned far too much to make that mistake. Instead, she braced herself. Hoping that whatever Kasumi had planned for her would be quick and leave her with enough Life Points to keep playing the game.

Kasumi was not yet through with her turn. Berseker of the Tenyi was going to be the least of her worries. She activated the spell, Card of Sanctity, and refilled her hand. Cora did the same.

More complex combos from Kasumi. Monsters were being revived from the Graveyard or summoned from the deck at such a rapid pace. Finally, Kasumi finished her combo, leaving on her field two fierce beasts that would be a thorn in the side of Cora and her Blue-Eyes.

On her left, rose the mighty Baxia, Brightness of the Yang Zing, a majestic dragon radiating with holy light. At 2300 ATK, it was a strong and capable creature. And to the right of Kasumi, was the newest member of the Tenyi Family. A 3000 ATK Link Monster known as Tenyi Spirit - Sahasrara. Feeling confident with his allies, Beserker of Tenyi pointed at Cora and smashed his fist against his palm.

Cora smiled. Yes, she was in for a world of hurt, but she couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful the princess looked with those two Wyrms floating on either side of her.

"I see you're impressed," Kasumi said.

Cora's smile grew. "Impressed? I think I'm in love."

Kasumi laughed at that. "Aren't you sweet. But flattery won't help you win this Duel."

"No. But thanks to the effect of your Card of Sanctity, I've got a fresh, new hand as well. More options to kick your butt."

Brandy had both hands on her cheeks. This Duel was getting better.

"Ah, I see I haven't missed the best part," Jack Gannon scooted through the seats to find a place to sit down. No surprise, he chose to be by Yumi's side. "Hello, there. You must be Miss Muto."

"I am," Yumi said, eyes still glued to the Duel.

"You see that Tenyi Spirit down there?" Jack pointed at Sahasrara. "I gave her that yesterday."

M couldn't help but overhear that. He leaned forward to look at Jack. "Really? You gave her that card?"

"Of course. Only the best for my fiancee. Great seats, by the way, you guys."

Nixie shrugged. "Well, not everyone chose to stay after school. Everyone's thinking about heading home what with the election going on."

Jack frowned. "I forgot about that. There are rumors that the Emerald Fire Party is ahead in the polls."

Nixie rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Did you not see those DESMAGI punks parading around their cities with their Covenant flags? Goes to show how many idiots are in this city. Doesn't at all surprise me. Fascism seems to attract idiots like moths to a flame."

M sighed heavily, not at all pleased that politics ruined the Duel for him. "Get ready to see more Temples of Yeyu built around here," he said. "Why don't we watch our girls Duel, and then worry about the election?"

Jack nodded in agreement and looked at the scoreboard. "Oh, dear. Cora's got the lead of Kasumi. She's even better than I thought. Much, much, better. Interesting." He then saw Baxia and chuckled. "Nevermind. I spoke too soon."

Kasumi looked up at her dragon, then slyly gazed at Cora. "Okay, Cora. If you think your Blue-Eyes and Bigfoot are going to be enough to stop me, I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken. When Baxia is Synchro Summoned to the field, your monsters will go back to your deck, leaving you wide open for a direct attack."

Baxia started summoning a Divine wind as it powered up an energy beam in its mouth.

"Sorry, but you're not! From my hand, I use Effect Veiler and cancel out your monster's effect. My monsters are not going anywhere!"

Kasumi giggled. "Sorry, Cora. But thanks to Tenyi Dragon -Sahasrara's special ability, that won't be happening."

"Say what?"

"So long as I have a non-effect monster on the field, you cannot target my effect monsters for attacks. Also, you cannot target them with card effects. So Effect Veiler's ability won't work."

Cora smiled. "You really are amazing, Kasumi. You've got me on the ropes, but we're getting started."

Cora and Kasumi kept pushing each other farther and farther. Each card they activated was countered or dispelled beautifully. It was as if the Goddesses blessed their hands, giving the two girls just the right cards they needed to keep the Duel going and boosting the power of their monsters. After a few turns of defending herself from Berserker of the Tenyi, Cora finally got the cards she needed to fusion summon Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. When the majestic creature appeared, the other students screamed and gasped. She discarded Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon and a regular Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to give Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon two more attacks, wiping the field clear of Kasumi's Wyrms.

Though her board was wiped clean from the vicious onslaught of Cora's three-headed beast, she was far from being defeated. For the next two turns, she remained on the defensive, negating the ultimate dragon's attacks and saving the monsters she needed to summon something that would stand a chance against Cora's Blue-Eyes. However, as the turns went by, Cora's hand increased as well, gaining her the right cards for a ritual summon.

She used Chaos Form to call upon Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon who could inflict double-piercing damage. If it was successful with its attack on her Shaman of the Tenyi, it would all be over. But she had Waboku to reduce all her damage to 0 for the rest of the turn.

Finally, she had just what she needed for a Synchro Summon. After a few Link Summons, Kasumi summoned the grandmaster of the art of Tenyi. A monster that filled Cora's heart with fear.

Dracoberserker of the Tenyi. It was the horrible creature Cora saw in her nightmare. It roared and devastated the Duel with a terrifying effect that allowed it to gain the ATK of an effect monster that it battled with. Thanks to one of her Tenyi Dragons in the Graveyard, Dracoberserker of the Tenyi got just the boost it needed to take down Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon with a single punch. It then gained 4000 ATK points and aimed its attack at Neo-Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. This was it. With this last attack, Kasumi would retain her title as the Rank 1 Duelist in Rosenkruz.

"Activate Trap!" Cora shouted.

* * *

**Later**

* * *

The two of them walked around the city until the sun went down and the three moons rose over the dark night sky, the stars invisible by the bright lights of the city. At seven, the two of them were having dinner at a pizza shop called Chubby's. Cora learned that Yumi was a lover of pizza.

"So you've never had it before?" Cora asked.

"No. Never," Yumi replied with a mouthful of cheese and pepperoni. "Miss Mai, introduced it to me the day before. Oh, how could I have missed out on such a delicacy? I'm sorry the Duel didn't end in your favor."

"Ring of Destruction," Cora boasted. "Neither of us were gonna win that Duel. But there will be other times."

Krissa came towards them with another deep dish pepperoni pizza. "Hello, Miss Yumi. Did you enjoy your pie?"

"I sure did," Yumi replied. "It's so good I just had to order another one."

"How is Miss Kasumi?" Krissa asked Cora. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the match. It's my first day and we were rather busy."

"She's resting now. I should be as well, but I'm too pumped to sleep. I wanna Duel again! That was so amazing!"

Yumi munched noisily on another slice. Cora sighed. She pulled a bunch of napkins from the dispenser and wiped her mouth with loving care. "You must really love that pizza."

Yumi nodded.

"Well, isn't it a delicacy imported from another world?" Krissa asked.

"Yes, it is," said Cora. "I guess that explains it."

Yumi laughed, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. "Well, I am not a fan of foreign foods. Let alone food from another dimension. Oh, but I will be a little more adventurous in the future. Thank you so much for hanging out with me, Cora. I really appreciate it. Miss Krissa. Can I get another soda?"

"Of course," Krissa said, taking the empty cup and walking away, much to Cora's delight. Chubby's was notorious for having young, pretty, waitresses with big busts dressed in tight shirts and short, shorts. She sported their cap as part of her uniform. "Mmm-mmm-mmm," Cora said biting her lip. "I hate seeing her go but I loooove watching her leave."

"You must really like her."

"I adore her. Sadly, she needs a little getting used to."

"I understand," Yumi said, picking up a pepperoni. "Again, thanks for introducing me to the gang."

Cora smiled and patted the girl's hand. "Yeah, no problem. Welcome to the group Yumi daughter of Yugi. I look forward to a long and prosperous friendship."

* * *

The next morning, Professor Mako Tsunami boasted of stories battling sea monsters of the deep and fighting back an Orc navy in the Battle of Red Monday keeping back any more Orcs from sailing into Termnnia while another force was attacking Rassay where Yuri was hiding.

Cora yawned as Mako lost track of the rules for the final exam and went on about how he killed a kraken.

"Uh, professor," Brandy said, raising her hand. "I was there when you made that catch in the harbor. It wasn't a kraken. It was a baby dolphin."

"Was it?" Mako said, scratching his chin. "Hmm. Looked like a kraken to me. Tasted like one, too."

Cora did not care if it was a kraken or a baby dolphin. Her mind was stuck on the Duel with Kasumi the other day. She was so close!

And then Krissa came to mind. She smiled when she learned she got a job waiting tables at a nearby restaurant. Perhaps she would visit her later and grab a bite to eat with her friends. Then something else came to mind. She opened her notebook and saw a flyer detailing a new Team Tournament in the Heart Crown Arena. Hopefully winning those games would regain the trust of her father. She sighed. It really was stupid of her to act that way on the beach. She remembered the look of spite in her father's eyes. The intensity of his yelling. He lost a lot of respect for her after pulling that stunt as did Miss Goldwine.

"I'll make it up to you dad. I promise," she whispered, tucking the flyer under her notebook. She heard a flirty click behind her. Cora turned her head and saw the grinning face of a lad by the name of Ethan Morris.

"Hey," he whispered.

Cora looked at him and turned her head to focus back on Professor Mako standing proudly in front of a set of fossilized jaws that belonged to an ancient sea monster. Ethan gathered his things and sat next to her.

"I'm Ethan of the House of Morris. And you are?"

"Not interested," Cora answered, her teeth clamped onto her pencil with the Kaiba Corp logo on the top near the aluminum band that held the pink eraser.

"Sorry, you sort of stand out from the other girls I've seen around here. Your academy outfit is heavily customized and there are diamonds on your Blue-Eyes White Dragon's escutcheon. I have a thing for rich girls. See, I hail from a family with a lot of money too you know."

"So do half the other losers who flirted with me today, " Cora declared, quietly so as not to disrupt the teacher's lecture. "But I know you, Ethan Morris. You're that loser who lost us the Emerald Marches up north a few months back."

Ethan cringed. It hurt him to know that everyone in the school knew of his painful defeat at the hands of Prince Malcolm in the Duel for the Emerald Marches. "You've heard of that?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Well, I guess I did lose the Marches, but we're going to get them back. Master Yugi enlisted the help fo the Summoner of Dragons to go to battle against King Forrest. So no harm done, eh?"

"Doesn't change the fact you lost them," Cora said, flipping the page of her textbook.

"Hey, girl, take it easy. You know, I have powerful connections. My cousin is Michael Octavius Dalton. The Crown Prince of Termnnia. I'm relations on his father's side."

"Good for you," Cora said with a shrug.

"Could I at least get a name?" Ethan asked.

"Cora Kaiba."

"Kaiba you said? I didn't know Seto Kaiba had a daughter."

"You really are new around here," Cora answered copying down notes on the board on the biology of sea serpents.

"Yes. After my loss in the Emerald Marches, father thought it best I come down here to improve my skills before heading off to Duelist Academy. I'm heading for Obelisk Blue, you know."

"So are many who go here. This is a prep school to get into the Obelisk Blue dorm. Duh."

Ethan smirked and nodded his head, his notebook was blank, not a single world was copied down. His eyes were focused on Cora. Her brilliant blue eyes glowing in the turquoise light of the water outside the glass walls of Professor Mako's classroom made him excited. "You are so hot." He commented arrogantly.

"Thanks...I guess," Cora said with a roll of her eyes.

"Say, why don't you and I go out?"

"Excuse me?"

"Come on," Ethan said, nudging her playfully on her forearm. "Just one date."

Another roll of her eyes. Cora wanted to get on with the lesson.

Ethan chuckled. "Playing hard to get, huh? I like that in a girl. I'll play your games. Why don't we have a Duel later today? You win, I leave you alone. But I win, then we go on a date."

Cora smiled at his proposal and turned her gaze from Yuri and Yugi back to Ethan's grinning face. "Trust me, kid. You don't want to do that."

"Why?"

Class ended at last with Mako announcing a diving trip at the end of the semester.

"Well, Ethan of House Morris," Cora said, picking up her things. "It was nice meeting you. But I have to get going."

"Can I see you again?" Ethan asked.

"I doubt it," Cora said walking away. She met with Nixie by the fountain outside of Mako's tower in the underwater district of the school.

Nixie handed her a sandwich she promised to give her after lunch ended. "Hey, Cora, guess what I just heard."

"What's up?" Cora asked, unwrapping the sandwich from its plastic covering. She bit into it savagely.

"Kasumi and I found a couple of Duelists who are willing to help us in that team tournament. They're really good and are big fans of yours from what I understand. But they're only going to participate provided you're willing to pay."

Cora sighed. "I have funds but they're not much so these assholes better appreciate what I give them. Otherwise, it's a no."

"It's for a good cause," Nixie said with a sigh. "Didn't you hear what Madame Angelmen just did?"

"Mmm-mmm," Cora said, shaking her head, unable to answer from the food in her mouth.

"She just raised the tuition for this place two-fold."

"You've gotta be shitting me!"

"No. I'm afraid I'm not. And she cut a lot of scholarships and programs for students on the dumps. Me included."

"What!"

"Yeah, she terminated the school's partnership with the museum. Hopefully, that woman, Ishizu, can talk some sense into her before it's too late. If she doesn't, I'm going to join the many students who had to drop out with the rise in prices around here. Naturally, only the rich kids of the Dragon Gardens and the King's District are celebrating that one. I'm so pissed off."

"I'm giving that bitch a piece of my mind," Cora said storming away.

It was a long train ride to the top of the tower where the headmistress worked. She did not even bother knocking. Cora burst through the doors and coughed, as she walked into a cloud of tobacco. Madame Angelman was puffing on an Emboldorian cigar from behind her desk.

"Ms. Kaiba," she said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You can start by reinstating all those programs you canceled, you selfish witch!"

Madame Angelmen puffed on the cigar and blew a cloud of smoke, adding to the noxious fog in the office that once smelled of apple pie and flowers.

"Selfish?" she replied. "My dear girl. I saved this school a lot of money. Did you know that twit Rosamunde was spending over sixty-five million in gold in these petty scholarships? That's money we could use funding a new state-of-the-art arena. The aquarium in the main hall that I petitioned to have for so long, and so many others."

"You're busting the money we pour for your own selfish gains? How the hell did a greedy bitch like you get into this office anyway?!"

Madame Angelmen shifted her cigar to the other side of her mouth. "What did you call me?" She stood up. Cora felt herself shrinking. "You think because Seto Kaiba adopted you and have you three shiny dragons that you have power over me, Cora? You think that just because you're a Kaiba you can control what goes on here? Understand this, my dear. This school is my kingdom now whether you like it or not. And what I say goes. You will do well to remember to respect me and address me properly. Or you will suffer the consequences. Stand in front of my desk."

"Excuse me!"

"Stand in front of my desk, Miss Kaiba. Don't make me say it again, or I'll confiscate your cards."

Cora held her head high and marched towards Madame Angelman's desk.

"Assume the position!" Madame Angelman commanded, strolling to a locker in the back of her office. Meanwhile, Cora bent forward on the desk, sticking out her rump. She turned her head and saw Madame Angelmen walking towards her with a big, black, paddle.

* * *

Nixie tapped her foot on the ground and checked her watch. The train from the towers came rushing by and came to a stop. Dozens of staff members and a few students from the council came walking out of the train. Cora came out last, wincing in pain with each step she took.

"Girl," said Nixie. "Do I even want to know?"

"No," Cora replied through her teeth. She rubbed her sore bottom and grimaced. "I've been banned from Dueling in school for the next few days. Under penalty of a fine of five hundred Gold Crowns. Missing all that action is going to cost me my rank. My father is going to hear about this!"

Nixie patted her back. "Don't worry. You'll still be able to play in the tournament. After we deal with our foes, we'll get our revenge against the bitch."

Cora whined and stamped her feet on the ground. "Why would she do such a thing?"

"She's from the Rhodasian Estates. Their ways of thinking are very, very, medieval. Not surprised she would bring back corporal punishment again. Look, just relax. Our finals are done, there's a super cool tournament ahead, and we've got the whole of winter break to look forward to. I say this is a pretty opportune time to teach Krissa a thing or two about Dueling. Maybe she can earn a better paycheck as a Duelist."

"One can hope," Cora chuckled.

"How are things going between the two of you?"

"They're all right, I guess. She's still a little timid if you catch my meaning."

Nixie giggled. "Not so sure about love yet, huh? Give her time. You did rush into the relationship, you know."

"I know, I know. What do you expect? I'm not a patient person. Still, respect her enough to give her some space."

"That reminds me. Won't the temple help her out or something?"

"Well, that's the bitch of it, Nixie. I asked her the very same thing and she refused to answer. That girl is my honey-bunches-of-oats and I love her. But man, all this mystery around her is putting my panties in a bunch. She won't talk about it at all. How does she expect us to bloom and trust each other if she keeps secrets from me."

They traveled to the underwater district of their school. Brandy was waiting for them at the entrance to the Heart-Crown Arena. She was holding a paper that said she was accepted into Obelisk Blue.

Cora embraced her in a long, bear hug. "Congrats, Brandy! You did it!"

"Yeah...I did it!" Brandy cried out, trying to breathe.

"Cora," Ethan said, coming to join her and the group. "So, uh, are you going to consider that Duel I proposed earlier?"

"Now's not the time, Ethan," Cora replied.

"Come on, Cora. It's not like a Kaiba to back down from a challenge."

Cora smiled at him. "Well, you're right about that. Okay, if you want to Duel that badly, I guess I can set a few minutes aside for you. But don't expect to be making any dinner plans or whatnot."

"Whoa," said Nixie, "what are that stakes in this match?"

"A date," Cora replied.

"Ooo," Brandy hooted. "Someone's a little tenacious. Think you're up for the challenge?"

"For a chance with a girl like her," Ethan said, standing up straight. "Of course, I am. How about it, Cora? Duel?"

"Yeah. Come on."

* * *

The Heart Crown Arena was mostly empty due to the attacks from the Yeyu cultists, so they had no trouble finding a place to play. Cora started to hear people laughing at her for some reason. She shrugged it off. Perhaps they were thinking that a match against the boy who lost House Alteria the Emerald Marches was a waste of time.

**LP 8000**

"I'll go first," said Cora. "I use Trade-In, discarding my Blue-Eyes White Dragon for two cards. Next, I use Silver's Cry to bring back the Blue-Eyes I discarded."

A bright flash of white burst behind Cora. Then, her Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared above her, letting out a majestic roar.

**ATK/3000**

"No way!" cried Ethan. "She summoned a Blue-Eyes White Dragon already!"

"That's right. Now, I use Card of Consonance, discarding my White Stone of Ancients for another two cards. And that ends my turn. Oh, but now that that's happened, White Stone of Ancients' effect activates. Because it was sent to the Graveyard, I'm allowed to summon a Blue-Eyes. Come forth, Deep of Blue-Eyes."

"Another one!" Ethan gasped. "Damn, she's good!"

"And now, that this lovely monster was Special Summoned, I'm allowed to add a Ritual or Polymerization card to my hand. Try to guess which one. Also, she allows me to add a Level 8 Dragon to my hand. I bet you can't guess as to what it is."

"It won't matter," said Ethan. "I've devised the perfect plan to take you down, Cora. Remember to wear something nice on our date. I play Foolish Burial, sending a monster from my deck to the Graveyard. Next, I summon Junk Synchron, who will allow me to summon from the Grave, the Junk Converter I discard with Foolish Burial. Next, comes Dopplewarrior. Now, I'll tune Junk Warrior and Junk Converter to Synchro Summon, Junk Speeder!"

**ATK/1800 DEF/1000**

"A Yusei Fudo deck," swooned Brandy.

"Someone's a fan of his I see," Nixie teased.

"I worship the ground he walks on," Brandy said, trying to replace Ethan with an image of Yusei Fudo."

"I'm better than he is!" boasted Ethan. "And I'll prove it! Junk Speeder's effect activates and so does Junk Converter in the Graveyard."

"And what are they going to do?" Cora asked.

"This. Say hello to my junk brigade. Here's Satellite Synchron. Jet Synchron. Quickdraw Synchron. And finally Junk Synchron. Next, I will Tune Satellite Synchron and Junk Speeder for F.A Dawn Dragster. Now, Junk Synchron will Tune with Dawn Dragster. Emerge, Satellite Warrior!"

**ATK/2500 DEF/2000**

"Now, here's the fun part, Cora. I get to destroy a card on your field for each Synchro Monster in my Graveyard. And my Satellite Warrior's attack will increase by 1000."

"No," said Cora. "My dragons aren't going anywhere. I banish Return from the Dragon Lords to negate your effect."

"Aw, man. Now he doesn't get the bonus. No matter, your Deep of Blue-Eyes won't stay around for long. I'll take it down with my Satellite Warrior."

The two monsters took flight. They battled fiercely in the air, but eventually destroyed one another.

"That takes care of that!" boasted Ethan.

Cora yawned. "Yeah, but now you have another problem." There was a bright light above her, shining like a star. From it emerged Deep-Eyes White Dragon.

"Oh, boy," groaned Ethan. "Another one."

"Yeah. She's as nasty as they come. First off, her attack is equal to the attack points of the monster you just destroyed. So that's 2500 attack points. Next, she will inflict 600 points of damage to your Life Points for each dragon I have in the grave."

Deep-Eyes White Dragon expanded her wings and launched a multi-directional laser assault, dealing 1200 points of damage to Ethan's Life Points.

"I've underestimated you Cora. You completely wrecked my combos there. I will now Synch these two monsters I have left for Cryston Quandrix. Then I'll use Dopplewarrior's effect to summon these two tokens. One of which, I will use to Tune with my Cryston Quadrix for Accel Synchron. Who I will then tune with another of the tokens for the mighty Borreload Savage Dragon!"

** **

**ATK/3000 DEF/2500**

"There! Now that should even the odds."

"If you say so," Cora said drawing. "I banish my White Stone of Ancients to add a Blue-Eyes to my hand. Then, I'll reveal to you the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand to Special Summon, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon! And when he's called to the field, I can automatically destroy one of your cards. Bye-bye, Borreload Savage Dragon!"

Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon launched a laser beam that blasted the cybernetic dragon to bits. Ethan grunted, holding up his arm over his face to shield it from the debris.

"Alternative White Dragon!" Ethan cried out. "Goddesses! How many of them are there?"

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked, Ethan. I summon White Stone of Ancients and then Tune it with my Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon. Come to me, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon in defense mode!"

"Oh no!" Ethan moaned, sliding his hand down his face. "I just had to ask, didn't I?"

Cora's Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Deep-Eyes White Dragon destroyed whatever was left on Ethan's field.

"I'm down but not out," he said.

"Well, I end my turn. And I get another goodie. With another White Stone of Ancients in the Graveyard, here comes another Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

"There's no end to them!" he cried. "I wasted so many cards just to take down one of them. No matter, I will win this Duel and I will win that date with Cora. Draw! I use Junk Converter's effect to…'

"That's fine," Cora interrupted. "Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon's effect activates. Now I get to summon Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon to take its place." Cora froze and stayed quiet as she watched the card Krissa gave her come to field and roar, showing off its splendor. It was beautiful. Just like she was. She missed her so much.

"Are you done?" asked Ethan.

Cora blinked rapidly to dry the tears. "Yeah. Yeah, that's all."

"Okay," said Ethan. "I uh...well, I have a bad hand. Still, it will allow me to play this for a defense."

Ethan special summoned a dozen times to finally get a Saryuja Skull Dread on the field."

Cora just wanted the game to end. In no time at all, Cora summoned her Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon to the field. Then, she used a Dragon's Mirror Card to summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. She ordered her dragons to attack and walked away before the Life Point counter could even reach 0.

As she walked down the steps of the arena, a girl with glittery silver hair highlighted in bright blue slowly approached them. Her blazer was customized with an oversized hood that looked like a cartoonish fiend with glowing green eyes and mouth, making her stand out from the other students.

"Who…" Cora sniffed and rubbed the sweat off her face with her palms. "Who are you?"

Nixie gently pet Cora's back. "Cora, this is the girl I told you about. Jericho Archambeau. She wants to partner up with you in the games."

"You're very beautiful," said Cora, examining the glimmer in the girl's hair, her slightly pointed ears, her and gold, and silver eyes. "I've never seen your kind before. What are you?"

"I'm of the Veena," Jericho replied, clinging to the single strap of her black, box-like backpack. "We don't usually leave our homes in Frostborne, but with the ongoing war against Naralia, many of my kind have fled south for a better life. My parents included. They were the lords of Blizzentia, a once independent kingdom."

"Until Forrest conquered it," said Nixie.

"Yes," said Jericho. "Anyways, I wish to join your team. Should we have a Duel so show you my skills."

"I think that would be great, Jericho. Show me what you got."

"Hold on!" Ethan Morris was running towards them. "Hold on! I call dibs on Cora. Please, give me another chance. I can prove myself to you. I just got a bad draw."

"If you have a bad draw, you got a bad deck," said Jericho.

"Okay, but here's my real deck!" Ethan said, holding out another deck of cards from his blazer. "See? I told you!"

"I don't know," said Jericho. "You're Ethan Morris. That dumbass who decided to wager the Emerald Marches in a Duel."

"Why you…"

"Look at it this way," Amy said, cutting in. She overheard the conversation as she was approaching the group from the concession stand. "At least Ethan saved many lives that day. It would have been better to lose the Marches over a game of cards than with the lives of a thousand men. Don't you agree?"

Ethan, for once in many months, felt awfully proud. Amy did bring a good point that his little mishap saved Elleria's army from being wiped out by King Forrest's Holy Contingency.

"Well," he said. "What do you have to say about that. Besides, I've learned much since then. Princess Evelyn had me sent her personally for the next few weeks to improve my game, and improve it has. I'll prove it to you."

"All right," said Jericho. "I'll Duel you."

"Good. And if I win, Cora, you have to give me that rematch. Deal?"

Cora replied with a shrug. "Very well. Do what you got to do."

Jericho walked up the steps of the arena and took her place. Her silver and aquamarine ring formed into a sleek, skinny, Duel Disk with a filigree blade. Her Life Point counter was submerged in water inside of a blue crystal. Ethan embarrassingly activated his standard Duel Disk. But, hey, if he beat this girl and played a good game, then it proved flashiness doesn't make one a Duelist.

"I'll be a gentleman and let you go first," said Ethan, performing a cringeworthy bow.

"Whatever you say, boy-o," Jericho said, showing him the card she was going to play. "I use Allure of Darkness. I draw two cards and banish a Dark monster from my hand. And I'll activate a second one just to make things interesting for you, Mighty Duelist of the Emerald Marches."

Ethan narrowed his eyes. He was growing really tired of everyone making fun of him for that loss. Even though there was the good in saving the army from annihilation, it was still rather humiliating losing to King Forrest's spoiled brat-of-a-son.

Jericho smiled, the gloss on her lips perfectly reflecting the lights of the stadium above them. "Now, Ethan, let's see you Duel your way out of this one. First, Pot of Desires, banishing ten cards from my deck face-down to draw two cards. Next, I use the effect of D/D Swirl Slime to fusion summon D/D/D Flame King Ghengis!"

"What's that?" Ethan gasped.

** **

**D/D/D Flame King Ghengis**

**ATK/2000 DEF/1500**

Cora placed her hands on her hips and shook with excitement. "Oh, so she runs a Different Dimension Daemon Deck. This is going to be interesting."

"I told you you were gonna love her," said Nixie.

"Next up," Jericho declared. "I summon D/D Savant Copernicus! Then send a D/D monster from my deck to the graveyard. Now, I'll offer both Ghengis and Savant Copernicus to Link Summon D/D/D Abyss King Gilgamesh!"

The arene seemed to turn cold once the monster armed with several golden weapons digitized on the field. He stood over Jericho and growled at Ethan, staring into his soul with disgust. He was clearly hoping for a worthy foe.

** **

**D/D/D Abyss King Gilgamesh**

**ATK/1800**

**LINK- 2**

"And now for his special ability. When he's special summoned, I can add two D/D Pendulum Monsters in the Pendulum Zones. Here comes D/D Savant Kepler (Scale 10) and D/D/D Oblivion King Abyss Ragnarok (Scale 5)!"

She took 1000 points of damage with Oblivion King's effect. Then activated a Continuous Spell called Dark Contract with the Gate, adding a D/D monster to her hand. Then, she activated the Pendulum Scales, Special Summoning two Oblivion King Ragnaroks to the field, along with a D/D/D Supreme King Kaiser (2800 ATK). She chained the effects of one of her Oblivion Kings on the field with the one in her Pendulum Zone, Special Summoning a D/D Lamia from her Graveyard and D/D/D Flame King Ghengis at the cost of 1000 of her Life Points.

"I'm not through yet, Ethan. I will synch my D/D Lamia and D/D/D Flame King Ghengis to Synchro Summon, D/D/D Gust King Alexander! Then, Lamia returns to my field, for now. Now I synch her and D/D/D Supreme King Kaiser to become the mighty D/D/D Cursed King Seigfried!"

Ethan felt like surrendering when he saw the two, towering, kings, gleaming in white armor and wielding powerful, giant, swords that were taller than most of the buildings in the academy. He couldn't believe how fast she was able to summon them. And she made it look so easy.

"Gust King Alexander's effect activates. I return D/D Swirl Slime and Link him with Abyss King Gilgamesh to create another one! Now, from my Graveyard, I banish D/D Necro Slime and D/D/D Supreme King Kaiser to fusion summon D/D/D Flame High King Gilgamesh! Now I'll Overlay him with D/D/D Oblivion King Ragnarok to Xyz Summon, D/D/D Duo-Dawn King Kali Yuga!"

And with that, her swarming of the field was complete. Alexander stood with 2500 ATK, Siegfried with 2800 ATK, Dawn King Kali Yuga standing behind them all dominantly in his floating throne growled as his ATK point meter displayed 3500 ATK points. Oblivion King Ragnarok had a strong 2200 ATK and Gilgamesh with 1800.

"Your move, Ethan," Jericho boasted. "Go on."

Ethan didn't know what to do. He stood there, quivering in front of the D/D/D monsters Jericho summoned so easily and so quickly. He read their effects before when he got a Cursed King Siegfried in a pack, but he tossed it aside, thinking his effect and summoning conditions were too difficult.

"Hey, hold up," M whispered. "Look. He's got a Maxx C in his hand."

"Oh," Amy said. "That would have come in handy when Jericho was summoning all those monsters. Why didn't he activate it?"

"Hmm," M rubbed his chin. "Stagefright, I guess. He looks like he's got potential. But there's a lot of doubt inside of him. No doubt in my mind that it's because of that loss in the Emerald Marches. Can you imagine it? The devastation of losing to a brat like Prince Malcolm. Letting down your country and your princess, who he loves so much? Talk about spirit breaking."

"I activate the spell..." Ethan began.

"Cursed King Siegfried will negate its effect!" Jericho said. Her monster began radiating with light and it canceled out Ethan's Spell Card effortlessly.

"You won't beat me!" he shouted. "I set all my cards face-down. These are dangerous traps that will stop your monsters from doing me harm. I end my turn."

"Your traps will do no such thing. I will remove an Xyz Material from Dawn King Kali Yuga and destroy all Spell and Trap cards on the field. Then, I use Monster Reborn to bring back D/D/D Flame High King Ghengis. You are done."

All of her monsters lunged forward for a direct attack. "So what do you think?" Jericho asked as D/D/D Cursed King Siegfried slashed Ethan vertically across his body. "YEOW!" he shouted.

"Very impressive," Cora said with a slow clap. "That was some mighty fine Dueling, Jericho." KABOOM! Dawn King Kali Yuga blasted Ethan with a beam from the crystal on his forehead.

"This is not fun!" he cried as D/D/D Flame High King Ghengis came for him and slashed him multiple times with his blades, followed by Gust King Alexander, who smashed him with the edge of his thick blade.

"I think she'll be a really big help in the tournament," Nixie added. BOOM! Gilgamesh was next to assault Ethan. "YAAAH!" he screamed.

"Cora," Jericho said. "It would be a great pleasure if you let me join your group. I want to stick it to the Covenant really bad."

"OOOOOOOAAAHHH!" Ethan shouted when Ragnarok finally ended the onslaught.

Cora shook her hand. "You are aware that the games count for extra credit, right? I want you at your best."

"I am, and I have no fear. My skills keep me confident. I would have shown you more, but that Ethan guy proved no challenge."

"Cora!" Kasumi called from the entrance of the arena. She, too, had a young lady by her side, no doubt another Duelist to help them combat the Holy Duelists. She was tall and thin. It was easy to identify her to be of the Lionhearts, a race of fire-casting, golden-haired, diamond-eyed people living in the province of Leorealm. The crest of her House was pinned to her blazer, showing off a gold liger enveloped in the flames of battle.

_ **C'vienne Nax Venneth Donoxium** _

Those words were written in gold letters on a banner of black underneath the liger. They meant: Our Claws clear the way to victory!

M saw her from the table he sat as he had lunch, and rubbed his hands together when he saw her. "Man, this group just gets hotter and hotter. I love being with you girls."

"Careful M," Amy giggled. "You'll awaken the beast inside Nixie if you piss her off."

"Well, I can't help it if I feel happy being surrounded by all this loveliness," he said watching as Kasumi and the girl passed by. "My, my, my. Cora's team is looking lit! She's Madeline Marvel Rosmarie Lestonnac Naxon Leotyne of House Ligier."

Amy's face said it all. Her name was terribly long, as were most of the names the Lionheart people, who added the names of the rival Houses they defeated to theirs as a sign of dominance and power. He laughed at her expression. "Come on girl, you know the custom of her people right."

"Yeah," Amy said. "I studied in Leorealm before. The king and his family have sixteen names. Sixteen!"

"It means he's not someone to be messed with," said M, he stuck a fry into his mouth. "It's their way of showing their power to anyone foolish enough to challenge them. It's like he's saying: 'Hey, asshole, you see all these names I have in my title? You want yours to be added to it?' Madeline sure has many names to hers, so that means her family must be one of the warlords of the Leovenne Mountains."

Madeline stopped in front of Cora and performed curtsey to be polite. "Madame Kaiba," she said. Her voice was honey-sweet and soft as a whisper. There was a big, pink, bow with a large diamond on the center, pinned on the back of her hair, giving off an aura of innocence that made Cora's stomach melt. "I am Madeline of House Ligier. Miz Kasumi told me you 'ave a problem."

"We do," Cora answered. She sniffed the air. Madeline smelled of roses, freshly cut and standing in front of the window on a warm, spring day. "How well can you Duel?"

"I once challenged Miz Kasumi for ze title of rank one," she explained. "I have a 4.0-grade point average her in Rosenkruz to boot." She handed them a sheet with her marks. All A's across the board. "And back home in Leorealm, I waz ze winner of ze Red King's annual Spring Pageant. Young ladies from all across ze realm come to theez games to play and display both zere beauty and skill in Dool Monsters, all for ze honor of winning rare prize cards and ze title of Queen of Spring."

"How many times did you win this pageant, honey?" Nixie asked.

"The last pageant a few months ago marks my fifth victory zere," she replied with a wide grin.

"Wow," said Cora. "What kind of deck do you run?"

"I play wiz ze Noble Knights. And it iz thanks to zem that I have secured my place in ze Obelisk Blue Dorm at ze Academy's university level."

"Congratulations," said Cora. "So, can you display your skills in a Duel for us right now?"

"Oui."

"Hold it, hold everything!" Ethan said, wobbling back to the girls. "Hold on a second."

Cora crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Ethan, I'm not going to Duel you and I'm not going to go out with you. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to play against our friend here."

"Hold on, gimme another chance," he said. "I've got one last deck that will prove my worth to you. Uh...miss lovely lady, whoever you are. At the risk of getting my ass kicked again, I challenge you to a Duel. Cora, same stakes. I win, we Duel."

"He sure is persistent," Brandy said, trying her best not to laugh."

Cora let out a very loud and frustrated sigh mixed with a growl. "Fine!" she said. "Duel her. Win, we can have your rematch."

"You won't be disappointed!" Ethan boasted, running for his side of the arena.

Again, his standard academy Duel Disk was outshined by a custom one. Madeline's deck resembled a white and gold sword in front of a shield, which served as the dealer and holder for her deck.

"Man, I can't wait to get some of my own. Maybe you can afford one for me when we start dating, huh, Cora?"

"What?"

"Come on, your Dueling Honey has gotta look good too."

"You are such a loser!" snapped Amy. "Hurry up and start your turn."

"If you say so," he bragged. "I feel really bad for having to do this to one so pretty, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do! I summon Batteryman Solar!"

A ball of electricity formed beside him and it burst to reveal a solar panel with arms and legs and a battery-shaped head with glowing yellow eyes and a mouth.

"Now, that he's been summoned, I can discard a Thunder monster from my hand. So goodbye Thunder Dragondark! And from my hand, I activate Thunder Dragonmatrix! I discard it to boost Batteryman Solar's attack points to two-thousand. Are you following me, gorgeous?"

"Oui. Iz a very simple strategy. I have played with ze Thunder Dragon archetype before."

"Yeah, they've become somewhat meta as of late, haven't they? But trust me, you haven't seen anyone use them the way I have."

Kasumi rubbed her temples. "Well, you've got to admire his spirit."

"I activate, Allure of Darkness," Ethan continued. "I'll banish a dark monster and draw two cards. Now, I banish Thunder Dragonroar and special summon, Thunder Dragondark from the graveyard."

The wind howled and soon a black thundercloud formed over Ethan's field. Lightning flashed from the cloud, followed by a menacing roar. Thunder Dragondark slithered from the cloud and hovered over the field, snarling menacingly. Its spikes rose; a form of intimidation to put its foes on edge.

"Yes, and now my Batterman Solar summons a token to my field. Now, I'll tribute both the token and Thunder Dragondark to Link Summon, Some Summer Summoner."

From the clouds emerged a lazy diety of sorts wearing a tiger-striped speedo, a snorkel, and pink fins. He sported a puffy yellow hairstyle and sported sunglasses. He didn't do anything except yawn and lay there on the cloud.

**ATK/1600**

**LINK-2**

"Now, from the Graveyard, Thunder Dragondark's effect activates. Now I add Thunder Dragonhawk to my hand. Now I'll use Hawk's effect, discarding it to Special Summon Thunder Dragonroar from banishment. But he won't stay for long. For I now call upon Thunder Dragon Colossus!"

** **

**ATK/2600 DEF/2400**

**LV 8**

"But the fun doesn't stop there! I use the spell, Thunder Dragon Fusion! I fuse a few Thunder Monsters in my deck and viola! Here comes the mighty, Thunder Dragon Titan!"

**ATK/3200 DEF/3200**

"Now my dorky Summer Summoner goes bye-bye to make way for another Thunder Dragon Colossus! Let's see you try and get through that! My Thunder Dragons are ready to trounce you!"

"Impressive," Madeline said, drawing her card. "Now I'll show you what I can do. I summon Noble Knight Brothers! And I equip them wiz Noble Arms Gallatin and Arfeudtyr, but I will banish zat spell to special summon, God Phoenix Gearfried!"

"God Phoenix?" Ethan gasped.

A phoenix flew down from the sky and formed a wall of flames around Madeline. The flames were a portal to a divine realm, opening to let loose one of the strongest warriors in Duel Monsters. Phoenix God Gearfried jumped out of the flames. His armor was exquisite in design, with colors ranging from white, red, black, and gold. He was decorated with a flaming plume and a massive cape of flames that spanned more than thirty feet.

** **

**ATK/3000 DEF/2200**

"I am so screwed, aren't I?" Ethan groaned. It truly was a difficult situation for him. No matter how hard he tried to gain the favor in a Duel, someone somewhere always had to have something that ruined everything. This Phoenix God Gearfried was truly a spectacular monster. And like most monsters with grand designs such as he, there was going to be some spectacular, game-ending effects.

"First, I will attack your Batteryman Solar wiz my Noble Knight Brothers!" The three men in gold armor slashed the solar panel creature, losing Ethan 200 of his Life Points. "Next, God Phoenix Gearfried will attack your Thunder Dragon Titan!"

"You must be out of your mind!" yelled Ethan. "He's stronger than your monster."

"Why don't you wait for my move to finish before questioning my intelligence!" Madeline snapped at him. At ze start of ze damage step, God Phoenix Gearfried - in all his splendor - will snatch one of your monsters and equip itself to him, boosting hiz attack points to 3500. Now, he iz stronger zan your Thunder Dragon Titan!"

God Phoenix Gearfried sliced off all three of the Thunder Dragon Titan's head with one swipe of his long, bladed arm.

**Madeline 8000 LP**

**Ethan 7500 LP**

"You've got skills," Ethan said with a gulp. "But I'll figure a way out of this mess. I know I can. Draw! From my grave, Thunder Dragon Fusion's effect activates. I add Thunder Dragonhawk to my hand, and I will discard it to…"

"No! God Phoenix Gearfried will detach your Thunder Dragon and negate your monsters' effect. Nice try, Ethan."

"Oh, man!" Ethan mumbled as he bit his lip. "All right, fine. I discard Thunder Dragon from my hand and add two more Thunder Dragons to my hand. Then, I will fuse it with my Thunder Dragon Colossus to summon another Thunder Dragon Titan!" He waited for the dragon to make its entrance to finally start speaking. "He's back, and your God Gearfriend doesn't have anything equipped to him, so he's easy pickings. Attack!"

The dragon raised its three heads and zapped God Phoenix Gearfried to ashes. Madeline shrieked as she shielded herself from the blast.

"I end my turn," Ethan said confidently. He had every right to feel that way, seeing as how he easily destroyed the monster that sent fear up his spine earlier. He figured that perhaps there wasn't anything to be afraid of with those boss monsters after all.

"I shall begin," Madeline said, fixing her bow before drawing her card. "I summon Noble Knight Iyvanne in attack mode!"

She summoned a red-haired knight in green and black armor with a lion as a companion. "Next, I will equip him with Noble Arms - Caliburn!"

"I love the platinum rare of your cards, Madeline!" Cora commented from below. Even from where she stood, she could see the entire card had a metallic shimmer to them and the letters were glowing in iridescent foil.

"Oh, thank you," Madeline said, nodding at her compliment. She looked back at Ethan and smiled. "Now that I have equipped Iyvanne wiz a Noble Arms card, he summons a Noble Knight Token. And then I will use him and ze token to Link Summon, Isolde, Two Tales of Noble Knights! I will zen chain ze effects of my two lovely ladies and the Caliburn in my grave. First, Isolde lets me add a warrior to my hand. And Caliburn comes back to ze field. I shall give it to Isolde. And now for her next effect."

"You mean there's more?" Ethan said.

"Yes. Pay close attention or ask me politely to slow down if I am going too fast for you. I discard any number of Equip Spells to the graveyard and Special Summon a Noble Knight whose level iz equal to ze number of spells I discarded. I call upon Noble Knight Custennin! Now, Noble Knight Brothers allow me to return some cards to my deck." She picked up the cards she wanted and shuffled them into her deck. "Most lovely," she said. "Now, I will Overlay Brothers and Custennin to Xyz Summon, Sacred Noble Knight of King Custennin!"

** **

**ATK/1500 DEF/2500**

**Rank 4**

"All that for a fifteen hundred attack point monster?" Ethan said with a sigh of relief. "I figured you were bluffing. God Phoenix Gearfried had to be the strongest card in your deck, and I destroyed him with ease."

"Oh, do you ever shut up?" Madeline retorted in annoyance. "Always so quick to underestimate your opponents. No wonder you always lose. Custennin will show you the error of your ways! From my grave, I equip the spell Noble Arms - Gallatin to my King Custennin! This will increase his attack by 1000. Now, I summon Noble Knight Pellinore!"

She summoned a dashing horseman wielding a divine blade. He galloped out of thin air and stopped beside Madeline. The horse reared up on its hind legs and whinnied.

** **

**ATK/1900 DEF/500**

"Now it's time to end your dragon. By discarding an Xyz Material from Custennin, he can slay your horrible beast."

Ethan gasped. With a swipe of his holy blade, Sacred King Custennin returned Ethan's Titan back to the extra deck, leaving him wide open for a direct attack.

**Ethan - 1000 LP**

**Madeline - 8300 LP (Caliburn increases Life Points by 500 each turn)**

Ethan sighed. "I summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"Custennin will return your monster back to your hand," Madeline said. "Shall I continue?"

"No, you won. There's not much I can do."

M got up from his seat and went after him. "Hey! Yo! Ethan! Wait up, man!"

Madeline's Duel Disk dematerialized as she walked down the steps to rejoin Cora and the others.

"Sweet moves," said Jericho. "I hope you and I can have a match in the future. Your Noble Knights are very gallant, to say the least."

"Ah, yes. Miz Jericho. Yes, your D/D/D monsters are powerful and quick to swarm ze field in no time. My compliments. I also hope you and I can Duel soon."

"Hold on," Cora said, stepping behind Madeline. She fixed her bow, which grew uneven in the excitement of the Duel. "There you go."

"Oh, thank you, Miz Cora. So, have I proven myself."

"More than enough," Kasumi replied. "I think we have our team ready for the tournament."

Nixie slid her fingers under her cap and scratched her head. "I dunno. I feel like giving that Ethan kid a few pointers."

"Will he be joining us in fighting the tournament?" Madeline asked.

"No, thank goodness," Jericho said with a groan.

They heard laughing going on behind them. Cora turned and saw Clovis and his friends huddled around his phone. They looked up at Cora and howled and whistled.

"What's gotten into them?" Nixie asked.

"I don't know, but it's best not to get involved," Cora said. "Come on, girls. Let's get out of here before their stink makes me nauseous."

No one wanted to argue with that. They picked up their things and got ready to leave. Little did Cora know, this was going to be one of the most horrible moments of her life.

"Hey, Cora!" shouted one of Clovis's friends. "Or should we call you Cherry!"

That caused her to stop. She turned and snarled at the guy. "What the hell did you say?"

"That's right!" said a boy with blue hair. "We know what went on in there."

Clovis turned his phone around. What Cora saw shocked and angered her. Clovis was in there when Madama Angelmen was paddling her. And he filmed the whole ordeal.

"You pervert!" shouted Cora.

Clovis laughed and brandished his championship belt. "Hey, that's what you get for crossing paths with the new headmistress of Rosenkruz Academy," the young prince sneered. "I told you before, Cora. You should never have messed with me. And now I'm gonna humiliate you the way you did me. Oh, another customer." He typed away at his phone. "And that's another gold coin for me."

"Asshole! You're selling the vid?" shouted Nixie. "And here I thought princes were supposed to be honorable."

Cora felt her face growing hot. She wanted to disappear into nothingness. She heard laughter all around her. Some eyes were peering vexingly at her. Whispers and sniggering stood out like a thousand trumpets blaring at once. For the longest time, many thought of Cora as strong, powerful even. But even with the might and majesty of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons under her control, under the dominance she experienced under Madame Angelmen, she was as timid and frail as a little girl in that video. She hunched her shoulders in shame, her face flushing red. Even from where Nixie was standing, she could see the tears forming in Cora's beautiful blue-eyes.

"You're going too far with this, Clovis!" Brandy shouted. "Stop this right now!"

"That iz not very gentleman-like of you!" said Madeline.

Cora's lips started to tremble. She did all she could to keep from crying and giving Clovis and his friends more pleasure in tormenting her.

"Aww, is the baby gonna cwy!" teased one of Clovis's friends with spiked red hair. "Look at the Rank One Duelist now."

"Come on, Cora. Let's get out of here," Nixie said, turning her around. She flicked the middle finger at the group who just ooohed like it was nothing. They walked away.

Cora heard the sound of feet stamping behind her. But before she could turn, it was too late. The boy with the red hair came up from behind and lifted Cora's skirt. Cora screamed and jumped. Laughter erupted from the students when they saw the damage the headmistress had done to her.

"Cherry! Cherry!" Clovis and his friend chanted.

M suddenly came dashing down the halls, pushing and shoving through the crowd of students. He jumped from behind two girls and smashed his fist on the red-haired boy's face, breaking his nose on impact. He punched him again on the jaw. A flash of white shot out of his mouth as he twirled and fell to the ground, out cold. Tap, tap, tap, went his tooth as it bounced on the ground.

"YOU!" shouted M, pointing at Clovis.

"M! Stop it!" shouted Nixie.

M didn't listen. He charged for Clovis like a Mad Sword Beast and tackled him to the floor where he started punching him. Clovis's friends came in and started stomping on him to save their friend. Clovis stood up, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. "Hold him down! Hold him down!"

He joined in on the stomping and kicking.

"M!" shouted Nixie. She ran to his aid. "Stop! Leave him alone!" She tried to get them to stop, but Clovis pushed her. Nixie yelped as she fell hard on the floor.

Clovis's friends held M up by his arms. He tried to get free, but their grip was too strong. Clovis picked up his belt and slammed the heavy plate on M's face. He grunted and fell back as he was let go. Clovis's friends quickly got to work beating him again.

Suddenly, Ethan Morris came charging to the rescue. He tackled the boy with blue hair, and started punching him. But he was overwhelmed, too. Finally, Kasumi came in. And she was a different story entirely. One punch from her, and she knocked someone down. A big brute of a young man tried to fight her off, but she was so quick! She jumped and spun, before kicking him in the chest, knocking him back a few feet before he landed on his back with a thud. Kasumi then kicked Clovis in the family jewels and grabbed his phone. She crushed it with her bare hands.

"That's the power of Tenyi, bitch!" she shouted.


	24. Sins of the Father

Ralsh Spyreheart drummed his fingers against his biceps as he leaned against the brick wall of a dark and lonely alleyway. The air was pungent with the redolence of garbage mixed with food from the nearby restaurants. The red neon lights of the nearby Salazar Hotel illuminated the alleyway, as did its hundreds of windows, each lit up with a warm yellow glow. He would have rathered be waiting in there than out here in the rain. His black, leather jacket started getting soaked and chilled him to the bone. He sighed and slid his fingers inside his hood to scratch his scalp. He had messy brown hair with two bangs that dangled over his face. He sighed and looked at the hotel. He could see the guests, warm and cozy, in the main lobby.

The alleyway suddenly turned green. "Well, it's about time," he said. He peered to his left and saw a fiery green portal burst out of nowhere. From it, a man stepped out. He wore jet-black robes with glowing, green patterns and holographic, neon green stoles crisscrossed over his torso and formed arches over his shoulders. Decorative arcane circles hovered over his over-sized shoulders, both of them bearing a flaming eye.

"Report," said the man.

Ralsh burst out laughing. "Man, don't you love making an entrance." He held out his hand. "Got my pay?"

The hooded man grunted and held out his palm. Green flames erupted from it and formed a pouch loaded with gold coins. He tossed it at Ralsh, who caught it with ease. Ralsh scaled the weight of the pouch with his hand and nodded.

"Nice, this should get the gang going."

"I expect results," said the robed man. "Otherwise, I'll be taking my business elsewhere, and you will find yourself locked in the dungeon at the mercy of the inquisition for your incompetence."

Ralsh scoffed. "Relax, will you? When was the last time I let you down, man?"

"Is she here?" the robed man asked, dodging his condescending question.

"She is. Unless there's another hottie around here that can use the Blue-Eyes White Dragon archetype. What do you need her for anyway?"

"That's none of your concern. Your only job is to find her and defeat her with the magic we have given you. Mark my words, boy, it is a holy, ancient, and powerful magic. Take it lightly and it will lead to your downfall."

He tossed him a card. Ralsh caught it with his two fingers.

"Not bad," Ralsh said, examining the card. "A little OP, but against a girl as skilled as her, we're gonna need all the help we can get. And her friends? Are we to Duel with them, too?"

"I do not care for them, but if they get in the way, yes. Do it. Their souls will bring good nourishment to the Holy One."

"All right. You can count on us."

"I sure hope so, boy. Otherwise, your souls will serve as a replacement."

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

** _What are they doing to me?!_ **

** _What did she do to deserve such a fate? Why did the Goddess whom she served and loved so much forsake her to such a fate? Crystals started to form all over her body. A dragon was forming a crystalized tomb around her. She was coming out of the dragon's chest. The dragon growled in agony, feeling its strength being zapped by the dozens of cable slithering all over its body. Krissa's arms were extended outwards as though she were stuck to a cross. Her flesh was starting to turn sky blue with blue circuit board patterns._ **

** _"Cora," she sobbed. "Help me. I'm suffering. Cora...Cora, help me."_ **

* * *

"KRISSA!" Cora shouted, sitting up straight. In bed. She looked around and found herself in the darkness of her bedroom. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. She found herself shivering uncontrollably. Her teeth chattered loudly, and it wasn't because of the weather outside.

The wind howled through her windows. There was a fierce blizzard going on out there in the city. It was the fourth day of the Blizzard Dragon's mating season. And it around this time that the weather was going to get worse. Despite the terrible weather outside, Cora was burning hot and soaked with sweat. She took off her pants and tossed them across the room before she lay against the huge pile of oversized pillows. Her lips trembled and her eyes bubbled. Krissa's cries for help echoed in her head. She could see her anguish flashing before her eyes. Cora could take it no longer. She buried her face in her hands and broke.

She just sat there and cried for a few minutes before getting out of bed and walking to her kitchen downstairs for a glass of cold chocolate milk. A warm, golden glow illuminated her dining area thanks to the Christmas lights Ms. Goldwine added. And there was a tree by the fireplace as well, all decorated for the holidays. The Christmas holiday found its way into Termnnia hundreds of years ago on the count of the many Termnnians who came back as Christians. And, of course, the corporations all over Eredas saw it as a time to make lots of money. She smiled at the tree, admiring all the ornaments, ribbons, and the shining star on top of the tree. She found bliss for a moment; for the glow of the tree standing next to the fireplace filled her with warmth. Mayhaps it was this 'Christmas Spirit' that Ms. Goldwine was talking about. But a ghost from her nightmares came back and filled her with dread.

_Cora! Cora! Help me!_

She sent her a text.

**Hey! U ok?**

She tapped her fingertips against the counter waiting for her to answer. The wait was not a long one.

**Yes. What's going on?**

**Nothing. I had a nightmare about u**

**Do u wanna talk about it, dearheart?**

**No. It's okay.**

**U sure ur okay, Cora?**

**Yeah. It's K. Just go back to sleep. I believe u have a shift early tomorrow morning**

**Pouts. Don't remind me. Ok. I'll see u and the girls tomorrow then. See u. **

**That's my girl. Have a good day. I love u.**

**Luv u more :)**

Cora slammed her elbows against the counter and scratched her head furiously as if she hoped that would help get Krissa's cries for help out of her head. Even though she was just fine and dandy, the nightmare was just too disturbing to ignore.

"Just what in the hell are you?" she whispered.

"Can't sleep?" Seto Kaiba asked, walking out of the darkness and into the lights.

Cora gasped in fright. She hid behind the counter and pulled the strap of her crop top back up her shoulder. "Hold on. I'm not dressed, Dad."

Seto stopped. "Sure," he said. And he just stood there in the doorway of the kitchen concealed by the shadows. Cora didn't know if it was an open window somewhere or did the room get colder now that he was in the room with her.

"What's on your mind?" Seto asked.

"You never seemed to care about that before?" Cora said before drinking her milk.

"Things are different," said Seto. "I know I must have been harsh before when I first took you in, but I wanted to see if you could handle the responsibilities of being a Kaiba. This is a House where only the strong survive. You've exceeded my expectations, Cora. The Blue-Eyes White Dragons I created for you may be artificial, but they seem to support and love you as they do me. They have pride in you, I've seen the way they behave when you call upon them. Their heads stand tall and their eyes seem to shine brighter. I don't normally say this, but I'm proud of you."

Cora felt all tingly inside. For a moment, the dread of Krissa screaming in her nightmares had faded. "Really?" she asked.

Seto leaned against the doorframe. "Yes. Hundreds of promising Duelists were given the chance to use my dragons. Hell, I even thought Mokuba could have a chance to wield them. But the dragons responded negatively. They almost killed my brother when he summoned them. But you. They respect you. They love you. And you love them it seems."

"Yeah, you can say that," Cora replied, stroking a bang off her face. "If I'm ever in a jam, they're right there when I need them. You think that has to do with having faith in my deck?"

"No," said Seto. "You have the skill to use the cards. That's why you can Duel with them so efficiently. Like the sword for a fighting knight, cards are tools for battle. They serve only to make a Duelist powerful. Duelists fight with their own strength."

"I understand."

Seto grinned. "You'll make a great Kaiba one day, Cora. Mark my words. After three years in Duelist Academy, you'll become an unstoppable Duelist."

"Maybe I'll be better than you," Cora added confidently.

Seto let out a loud laugh. "We'll just see about that when I test your strength for myself one day." Seto's eyes suddenly went wide. His cheeks puffed as he made a horrible choking noise. He grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and wheezed into it.

"Daddy!" Cora cried out. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Seto held out his palm to calm her while his other hand clasped the handkerchief. When his lungs felt weightless he pulled the handkerchief back and saw blood splattered all over it. Thankfully, it was dark, so Cora couldn't see the trickle of blood running down the side of his mouth. He wiped it off with his sleeve and stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket.

"I'm fine," he said. "I was just working in that dusty room all night. I need some fresh air."

"Well, there's no point in going out there for fresh air," Cora chuckled, jerking her thumb out the window. "You're gonna freeze to death. You sure you're okay, dad?"

"Yes, don't fret about me. You just focus on your studies. By the way, what's up with that apartment you bought in the King's District?"

"Oh, uh? I…"

"Need help funding it?" Seto asked. "I imagine there are times when you want to get away and be alone. Safaani knows I do."

Cora poured herself another glass of milk. "So even you want to get away from all the chaos of the Kaiba life, eh?"

"Yes. And you have good taste. You bought yourself the penthouse suite in the Atlas-Kenreth Towers. Well, if that's where you'd like to go when you want to hang out with your friends or when you're not in the mood for the old domicile, you can. Send me the bill when it's time to pay up."

"Dad…"

Seto grinned again. "Your finals are on the way, right?"

"Uh, yeah, and I'm almost done with the essay you want me to write."

Seto smiled. "Forget about it."

"Huh?"

"You don't need to write the essay. Just...have fun."

Cora blinked to hide the tears forming in her eyes, but that was hard to do considering she was still in weep from her nightmare. Something was wrong. This was not Seto Kaiba. He would never just make a challenge and then back from it. Have fun? When did he ever say that before?

"No. I'm going to finish it. I've come very far."

"If that's what you want," said Seto. "Hmm. You're just full of surprises, Cora. Good night."

"Good night, dad," Cora whispered. A tear rolled down her cheek.

* * *

After two long days of no school, the students of Rosenkruz Academy came back for their classes, ready to collect all the materials they needed to study for the finals before the holiday break. Cora could not believe it was already December. The trees around the school were all wrapped with string lights and huge ornaments. Wreath garlands with lights and red ribbons trimmed the entrance of the school. Cora was not one to fall into the hubbub of Christmas, but she found it a rather fun holiday.

"Any word on the release of those Legendary Duelist Packs?" Kasumi asked. She walked beside Cora with two cups of hot chocolate in hand. Cora would have taken it, but she was not in the mood for the treat.

Cora smiled. "Not yet. But I can't wait to open some myself. I want to get the Kite Tenjo packs. Those Galaxy-Eyes Dragons will prove wonders for my deck and —damn it, they're back!"

Kasumi looked across the lake surrounding the academy. DESMAGI protesters were crowding against the railing, holding up their signs and shouting: "Magic-users have got to go!"

"Idiots," Kasumi muttered. "Just a bunch of mindless sheep fighting for a cause they know nothing about. Knox's propaganda is working well."

"People have a tendency to follow the one with the loudest voice," said Nixie. "If the talking head on the TV says its bad, they will believe it without a thought. Nobody thinks for themselves nowadays. And that is something dangerous. Brainwashing people is how tyrants come into power."

"Let them try," said Cora. "We've got a Dragon Summoner out in the west. I'd like to see them protest that. And we've also got the Cyber Knight and the D-Hero walking around the streets with their monsters. Emerald Fire can take seats in the Senate, but there's no way in hell they'll take control of all of us."

"I hope you're right," said Kasumi. "With all the violence erupting since taking office, Father is having talks of moving us back to Uzume."

"What?" said Cora. "You can't."

"I must. It's not safe here."

"I don't think anywhere is safe at the moment," said Amy. "Not with that bitch Madame—"

"I do hope you're not talking about me," Madame Angelman asked.

The girls stopped and turned. There she was in all her glory, wearing a heavy coat made of Silver Fang fur.

"Is wearing that legal?" asked Kasumi. "I'm sure hunting Silver Fangs has been outlawed."

"Princess Kasumi," Madame Angelmen said, stroking her coat affectionately. "I assure you, there's nothing wrong with enjoying the fruits of nature. You should try it sometime."

"Fuck you!"

"Hmm, that's detention for you, young lady. See me after school."

"As if!" sneered Cora. "Thanks to my father, your fat ass is fired. You shouldn't even be here!"

"Well, your father is...oh, how do you put it? Out of commission."

Cora suddenly felt colder from those words. "What do you mean?"

"It's all over the news, child. Your father collapsed during an important board meeting. Have you not heard? He's dying."

"You...you're lying!" Cora shouted.

"I wish it were true," Madame Angelmen said with a horrid chuckle. "He's out cold so I heard. With him out of the picture, I'm afraid those little terms of yours no longer apply. And thanks to a few friends in office, I am now able to come back. Oh, but there's more. With the violence that took place a few days ago, the School Board has unanimously agreed that Headmistress Rosamunde Thaddeus is not qualified for the job. She was removed from her post at midnight. And you, ladies, are in the presence of Rosenkruz Academy's new Headmistress."

Kasumi spat her hot chocolate out. Cora felt her legs turning into jelly. Her stomach ache was getting worse. Top that with the news of her father. Cora could take it no longer and threw up. The stress was too much. Madame Angelmen laughed at her. Cora straightened herself back up and ran back home. She darted through the streets and stormed through the doors of Kaiba Tower. She went in there so fast, she didn't see Prince Clovis standing by the fountain in the courtyard with his friends.

His buddy with the shaved head laughed. "Uh oh. Looks like the little princess heard the news about her daddy."

"Is it true, Clovis?" asked his friend with the spiked red hair. "Seto Kaiba is dying?"

"Yes," Clovis responded, hands deep in his trenchcoat. "And with him out of the way, there's nothing stopping me from getting his Blue-Eyes White Dragons."

"Mokuba Kaiba won't allow you to do that."

"Mokuba is just a kid. He can't do anything to stop me. And Cora is nothing but a worthless street rat. Kaiba adopted her because she's got a pretty face and a nice ass. Everyone knows Cora puts out for him at night in exchange for having a go at the Blue-Eyes."

"Yeah, you got that right, Clovis."

Clovis nodded. "Once Kaiba is gone, all that's left are his Board Members, who, may I add, are very negotiable. Shove big sacks of Royal Notes their way, and the Codes and wishes of House Kaiba get thrown out the window. My aunt is also looking to buy me six hundred shares from the company for a big slice of the pie that's being served once Kaiba is gone." He cackled and rubbed his hands together. "Merry Christmas indeed."

"You're gonna be obscenely rich with this deal, boss," said the boy with the shaved head.

"I have plenty of money," boasted Clovis. "It's Cora and the Blue-Eyes White Dragons that are the real prize."

* * *

Cora sprinted out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. There was a large gathering of people in white coats in there. Mokuba was sitting by the fireplace alone, not wanting to be disturbed. Ms. Goldwine hurried down the stairs as soon as she heard the elevator door opening. Without a word, she led Cora to Seto's room. They waited for a few doctors to finish examining him before stepping forward to talk with him.

He had a clear breathing mask over his mouth and he wore silk, red, pajamas. "Cora," he whispered.

Cora took off her backpack and sped towards him. She knelt down beside his bed and held his hand. "Daddy. What's wrong?"

"He can't hear you," said Scott Irving. "He's in the final stages of the Rosenkruz Syndrome."

"What the hell is that?"

"It's a disease that was thought to have been dead after the Waltz of the Dragon Queens," said Ms. Goldwine. "When they were losing the war to Queen Evangelia, a Plaguemancer from House Rosenkruz created a sickness to protect the treasures of the House from pillagers. Those treasures were thought to include the egg of a rare and powerful Blue-Eyes White Dragon known as the Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon. Seto found the ruins of the lost treasures of House Rosenkruz, but it was guarded by a horrible monster. His entire team was wiped out. Only Seto survived. He came out of that expedition with nothing except a ton of lawsuits and this disease. We didn't learn about it until it was too late."

"Is there a cure?"

"There might be," said Scott. "But the Plaguemancer who served House Rosenkruz is unknown to history."

"So let's look for it!" Cora shouted.

Scott shook his head. "It's not that simple, my lady. People have been looking into the identity of that Plaguemancer for hundreds of years. Your father...he has only two weeks to live. Three if he's lucky."

Cora squeezed her eyes shut. Tears flowed down her cheeks. "Dad…" she whined, burying her face in his neck.

* * *

Rain mercilessly rapped the windows of Mai's Penthouse suite and the deafening sound of the torrential downpour slamming against the sides of the building was so loud, Mai and Yumi's voices were reduced to a whisper. Despite this, sirens wailed in the distance and the hum of military aircraft vibrated throughout the abode.

"She's been in there all day," Mai said, stirring a large amount of sugar into her tea. Her fingers trembled and her voice quivered from the shock of learning about Seto Kaiba's failing health. Not wanting to be in Kaiba Tower, Cora asked Yumi if it was all right to stay with her and Mai. After saying yes, she and Ms. Goldwine traveled there at once.

"Poor thing," said Ms. Goldwine, accepting a cup of tea from Mai. "She's been through so much stress."

"But she still manages to go through her days strong," said Mai. "She's a tough baby, Barbra. I know she'll make it through this. Yumi will definitely help out, won't you?"

Yumi said nothing while making lunch for Cora, who confined herself to Yumi's room after seeing her father in such a state. Ever since they arrived, she wept in there and she hadn't been out since.

"You sure she wants to eat?" Mai asked. "I know I don't."

Yumi sucked on her teeth while picking up the tray. "She must. It's not a matter of wanting. Besides, the medicine I'm going to give her is potent. So she needs to eat."

"What's wrong with her?" Barbara asked.

"Her monthly course," said Yumi. "Mix that up with the stress of Emerald Fire in office, Madame Angelmen as the new Headmistress of Rosenkruz, and her father dying, oof, I'd be sick, too."

"If you insist," Mai said blowing on her tea to cool it. "And don't you worry, uh, Barbra, was it? I'm sure Kaiba would have wanted me to look after her for him. Cora's my responsibility now."

"Thank you, Miss Valentine," said Yumi. "I'm surprised those corporate suits from Kaiba Corp haven't given her a hand."

"You said it yourself, hun," Mai said with a shrug. "They're corporate suits. There's only one thing on their minds right now, and that's to see who's going to take over Kaiba Corp after her daddy passes away."

"Shouldn't that go to Mokuba?" Yumi asked. "What about Cora?"

Mai shook her head. "It doesn't work like that, baby. Mokuba's too young to oversee the business, and Cora isn't exactly Kaiba's flesh and blood."

"Too young to see the business?" Yumi remarked sharply. "And yet there are five-year-old kings to the west."

"Being a king is one thing, Yumi." Mai blew on her tea again. "But the president of a trillion-gold corporation is another thing entirely. But I've held you back long enough. Cora needs a friend right now. Go, go!"

Yumi gave a pallid smile before going upstairs to her room where Cora moped since hearing the news of her father's sickness. She set the tray down on a nearby side table and knocked timidly.

No answer. Yumi knocked again.

"Cora?" Yumi called. She knocked once more. "Cora! It's me, Yumi."

"It's open," a glum voice called back.

Yumi opened the door, picked up the tray and walked inside. Cora lay in Yumi's bed, wrapped in her crisp white sheets. Her academy uniform was strewn all over the floor and her deck collapsed from its perch on the side table beside the bed. The cards were scattered all over the ground beside the bed, but Cora didn't care or feel well enough to pick them up. Cora did not even raise her head, let alone turn to look at Yumi coming in. Her back was still facing her friend, and her face buried deep into Yumi's pillow.

"Hey," Yumi said softly.

"Hey," Cora replied in a whisper.

Yumi held up the tray. "I brought you some pizza."

"Leave me alone, Yumi."

"I can't do that," Yumi said placing her hand on Cora's shoulder. "I'm worried about you, you know."

Cora's hand slithered from under the blankets. Her fingers entwined with Yumi's. "Thank the Goddesses for you, Yumeko. You're all I have left now."

"Since when did you start praising the Goddesses?" Yumi asked, forming a smile.

"Since the day I met you," Cora answered joyfully, patting the top of Yumi's hand. "I've had a lot of gifts blessed upon me these past two years. Seto. My Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Becoming a student at the single-most hardest school to get into. But none of those compare to what I have now. A friend. You mean a lot to me."

"And you mean a lot to me, too," said Yumi. "I'm glad my father pulled me out of the forge."

"Me, too, but I want to be alone right now, baby."

"But, Cora, I want to be with you."

"I know you do, but I just lost my father, perhaps my entire livelihood. With Seto gone, who's going to pay for my education at the Academy? Don't you understand, Yumi? I lost everything."

"Cora, we can figure something out. Why don't you use the funds my father left me and go to the school instead?"

Cora looked at her with a confused look. "You serious, Yumi?"

"I am. Besides, I need to find my mother. I have the skills and the cards to make a name for myself in the professional circuits. I'll earn my keep that way."

"You're insane. That's your father's money, kiddo."

"You won't take my offer?"

"No!" Cora sat back up. "You have to go to this school. Money and fame in the Kaiba Dome can only get you so far, Yumi. But Duelist Academy. That place, it just makes Duelists so much more special. Dueling in that school alone makes you more elite than the best players in the professional leagues. Believe me. Besides, wasn't your mother the one who wanted you to go to school more than Yugi?"

"I suppose," Yumi replied, biting her index finger.

"You'd be doing her a huge disservice. And hey, if you don't mind me asking, just who was your mother?"

"My mother?" Yumi asked. "She was Yvonne the Black Witch of Valenhall."

"Yvonne of Valenhall?" said Cora. "THE Yvonne of Valenhall!? Yumi, no way!"

"Ha!" Yumi laughed, crossing her arms. "Even you know more about my mother than me. Just who was she?"

"I wrote a paper about her, Yumi. It's nothing to be proud of," Cora said this growing pale. "I read about her in the history class."

She tossed the sheets off her legs, got out of bed, and skipped gingerly towards the computer on the desk by the window. Cora turned it on and waited for it to boot up. She asked Yumi to type in the password. She covered her eyes as Yumi typed the code on the backlit keyboard. Cora then went to a search site and typed Yvonne's name.

Yumi did not want to believe what she was seeing. Cora slid the chair back gently, giving Yumi enough space to lean forward for a better look. Every article she read was about a massacre at a village. Caravans destroyed by a woman with raven-black hair, eyes in molten pink, skin the color of cream and bathed with the sweet scent of strawberries, just like Yami said.

"This…this can't be!" Yumi gasped, fighting back the tears. "My mother is not…she…she…"

"Look here," said Cora, clicking on an article.

**Ser Dorian Stormbow, formerly of the Goldenbows, a faction of mercenary archers, is one of the few survivors of the Quake of Gaia Fields, in which ten-thousand men and a battalion of Orcs lost their lives while battling for control of the mysterious Golden Eggs of Andelera, claimed by Yugi Muto and High King Antar after overthrowing House Dragonheart from power in Yugi's Rebellion of the year nine-eighty of the Fourth Age.**

"That's nine years before Yuri was born," said Yumi.

"Yuri is not what you should be paying attention to," said Cora. She continued reading the article.

**As the eggs were secured for their trip to Domino City for evaluation, King Forrest ambushed the caravan with an army of seven thousand men. Then, Orcs from the nearby mountains swarmed down to the fields and joined the fray to take the eggs for their master Anubis.**

**Neither Yugi's army, King Forrest, nor the Orcs would win that battle; for a great earthquake tore the land, killing thousands. The eggs were lost and never to be seen again. Ser Dorian, recently waking up from a coma lasting decades, described the events that unfolded that cursed night.**

**In a startling interview with Carly Carmine of the Daily Duel, Ser Dorian revealed that the quake was no natural disaster. With his own eyes, he saw Yvonne riding into the field on a black Pegasus, and conjured an unholy spell which caused the earth to split in the cataclysmic event in which thousands perished.**

"No! Goddesses no!" Yumi breathed behind her hand.

Many claim that the Golden Eggs were stolen by her in the chaos resulting from her spell, but this is just speculation.

"This is horrible!" said Yumi.

"It only gets worse, baby," Cora said searching for an article she read when she was writing her paper on Yvonne. "Yvonne is a sorceress who uses Shadow Magic, fell witchery cursed only to those with close ties to the Shadow Realm."

She found the article she was looking for and clicked on it.

**Horror on the Blue Road**

**On October the twentieth; year one-thousand-three of the Fourth Age. A caravan of six traders, five mercenaries, and a knight were brutally killed in an ambush carried out by the infamous Black Witch of Valenhall. Ser Thomas Moore, the knight, described the scene with his dying breath. He claimed the air was clouded in darkness and scented with the strong smell of strawberries. The caravan was attacked by the Black Witch because it carried…**

Cora stopped and buried her face in her hands.

"What?" Yumi asked desperately. "What was the caravan carrying?"

Cora looked up, taking a heavy breath before continuing on.

**The caravan was attacked by the Black Witch because the owner of the caravan, Lord Edgar Walsh, was one of the few people in the world to wield…**

Cora stopped again.

"What!?" Yumi cried.

Cora swallowed before she continued reading. "To wield all five pieces of the legendary Exodia the Forbidden One."

Cora then went on to explain that many more owners with pieces of Exodia were found viciously murdered.

Yumi's legs became jam. Her insides; a cauldron bubbling in an unpleasant brew of angst and incredulity. The Exodia cards she had. The way her mother got them. No, she could not call her that anymore. This thing who brought her into the world was a monster!

Yumi fell back on the bed, sliding down until she sat on the floor. "No! This…this can't be. Not my mama! Not my mama!"

"I'm so sorry, Yumi," Cora managed to say, turning her chair around to look at her friend.

"I…I don't understand," Yumi cringed. "My mother…a killer? A practitioner of witchcraft from the Shadow Realm? Perhaps it is someone else."

"For your sake, I hope Yugi was in a romantic involvement with another woman named Yvonne."

Yumi slapped both her hands on the side of her head, shaking it in disbelief.

"No, no, no!" Cora stood up from the chair and helped Yumi back to her feet. "You can't be like this. Not now after all that's happened today. I think it would be best for us to go downstairs and play a few more games to unwind. This building has restaurants right? I'll buy you dinner. What are you in the mood for?"

Yumi tried her best to smile. Instead, a big tear rolled down her face. "Aww," Cora cooed, wiping it away with her thumb. "Come on, Yumi. What will it be?"

"A deep-dished pepperoni pizza pie would be good."

"Yeah? Would that be good?" Cora said tickling Yumi's sides. "Listen, I promise when things settle down around here, we'll figure out what's going on with your mom. I'll help you find her, and your father wherever the hell he is. Our friends are all right, Yumi."

"I don't know," Yumi said, biting her lower lip. "Everything's such a mess right now. This stupid war for that glittering chair just has me so...I don't know where anyone is."

"What does your heart tell you?" Cora asked.

Yumi finally forced her glossy lips into a smile. "That they're all right. Miss Téa once told me friends have a connection. That we can feel their love even when they're miles apart."

"Because you love them," Cora replied with a nod.

Yumi puffed air out of her nose in humor. She placed her hand on her chest. "It sure took a while."

"I know what you mean." Cora leaned back on the deck and crossed her arms. Her angelic dragon wing pendant was glowing like a candle around her neck giving off rainbow-colored halos. "It took a while for me to get used to my father. While he has his ways and acts like an asshole most of the time, he loves me. Otherwise, he wouldn't have looked for me the way he did when I ran away and gave me a second chance." She grasped her pendant. Tears trickled down her cheeks. She sniffed and started to heave. "I miss him."

Yumi placed a hand on Cora's shoulder. "Come on. Dry those tears. We're going to get through this."

Cora looked at her. "So long as I have you by my side, Yumi Muto, I can overcome anything."

WHAM!

Someone smashed on the window outside.

"MAI!" Yumi shouted.

Mai was tied up and hanging from the rooftops. Her mouth was gagged by a black belt. Blood was oozing out of her nose. Then, she was reeled back to the top like a worm on a fishing hook. Cora and Yumi dressed into warmer clothes as fast as they could and ran out of the room. The apartment was a mess. Ms. Goldwine was nowhere to be seen as well.

"Now that I've got your attention," someone said.

Cora and Yumi stopped in their tracks when they heard the voice. A man walked out of the darkness of their living room. He wore a sleeveless vest with a high collar, brown cargo pants bloused into heavy commando-style boots, and goggles with glowing lenses over his eyes. He sported a blue mohawk.

"Who the hell are you?" Cora shouted. Yumi hid behind her.

"Shit," laughed the man. "My next few hits are two gorgeous beauties. Such a shame. This is going to be your last night in this world."

"What do you mean by that?" Cora asked.

"Our client is offering quite the bounty for your extermination. I could kill you, but that would be too easy, and your soul would float off into paradise, thereby making my job useless. Where you're going, you're going to know suffering beyond your wildest dreams in the Belly of Yeyu."

"A Yeyunist!" whimpered Yumi. "Damn it all to hell. Their filth has followed me here, too. Cora, be careful. These creeps are dangerous."

"Not quite, honey," said the man. "See, the only way to send you to such a place is to Duel."

"Duel?"

"Yeah, that's right. Cora Kaiba, I challenge you to a Duel with your soul on the line."

"You are out of your fucking mind!"

"I wouldn't go backing out on us."

A fiery green portal opened behind him. A young man with long white hair and a black skull cap beanie walked out of the portal. He was holding Kasumi at knifepoint.

"KASUMI!" Cora shouted. "LET HER GO!"

"We will," said the man with the mohawk. "If you accept our challenge and win, that is. Back out now, and we're going to field dress her like a deer. And your pretty girlfriend, too."

Cora felt her fingernails digging deep into her palm. "Don't you dare hurt her. If you so much as harm a hair on my friend, I swear hell will be unleashed."

"I will Duel you!" shouted Yumi. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Sorry, babe, but the challenge is for Cora. Of course, more souls means more pay. So I guess I'll take you both on."

"You sure about that, Hans?" asked the young man with the beanie.

"Yeah, these two don't look so tough. Meet us on the roof of this building. Remember, any funny business and your friend gets a one-way ticket to the hereafter."

Hans opened his own portal and backed into it. The young man holding Kasumi hostage backed away into his, snickering like a mad man. The portals vanished.

Cora headed out the door. "Come on, we've got to hurry. Mai and the others need our help." She turned to look at Yumi. "Are you sure you want to do this? Something tells me these guys are going to make us Duel in an illegal Shadow Game. If they're anything as bad as the stories I've read, then this isn't going to be a pretty Duel. Marik Ishtar put Yugi and his friends through hell in the Battle City Tournament many years ago."

Yumi just nodded.

They hurried to the roof of the building, thousands of feet into the sky. It was so tall, the storm clouds blocked their view of the city. Cora saw Hans standing there. Kasumi was now handcuffed to a pipe, sitting on the ground. Mai and Ms. Goldwine were dangling from a crane not far from her.

"Cora," Kasumi wailed. "Don't do this. Save yourself. You don't know what these guys are capable of. Please, please, just get away."

"No way, Kass! I'm not leaving you behind. I'll take care of him in no time. I've got some help."

Yumi nodded and stepped forward.

"Then let's get this game underway," said Hans. "You two ladies look like you're set."

Yumi held out her arm. Her ring morphed into a Duel Disk. Cora activated hers.

"Let's get this over with," shouted Hans. "But before the Duel begins, I activate the Banner of Yeyu!" He activated a Spell and inserted it into his sword-shaped Duel Disk. The wind started blowing around them, chilling them.

Yumi whimpered, for she sensed something evil coming from that card. A beam of gold light shined down from the sky and hit the ground, causing the roof to shake. It then turned into an arcane circle of complex and divine design. The Banner of Yeyu stretched until it lay directly under everyone's feet and took the length of the entire roof. It had smaller glyphs spinning around inside of it and strange runes flowing through the gaps and crevices like a river.

"What is this?" shouted Cora. She screamed when bright, acid-green flames erupted all around them. The golden color of the Banner then changed to acid-green as well.

"Cora be careful!" screamed Kasumi.

"There's nothing she can do," sneered Hans. "As of now, she belongs to Yeyu."

"You think you've won, haven't you?" Cora growled. "I don't know what any of this crap is, but I assure you you won't succeed." She looked at her cards and noticed something strange. Their levels were gone. "What's this? My monsters! Their effects! Their attack and defense points! Their levels. All gone?"

"I'm getting that, too," said Yumi.

"You're in a Holy Duel, ladies," said Hans. "Allow me to explain the rules of the game. In this Duel, you can summon monsters without their cost. The power they have will depend on the Ener-D you have in you. So the stronger your Ener-D, the higher their attack points will be. Furthermore, Duels with the Banner of Yeyu don't require Life Points. Our monsters will battle it out in mortal combat. We will keep summoning and summoning until one of us dies from a lack of Ener-D. Let the games begin."

"No problem," said Cora. "If anything, your stupid banner just made it easier for me to crush you." She chose the card she wanted to start the Duel. She felt her body getting crushed by her willpower to get the damn monster to come out with full force. "I summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

The flames behind Cora crackled and shot into the sky. They rolled and then took the form of her dragon. It roared and flew around the field.

Hans clapped slowly. "Impressive. You were able to conjure your dragon with its attack points to the limit."

"Yeah, piece of cake," Cora panted.

"My turn!" said Hans. "I draw! I summon Pikari Ignister! Watch and learn, ladies! Don't blink." He summoned monster after monster after monster, activating all sorts of spells to complete his combo and bring forth a Synchro monster called Wind Pegasus Ignister. A flood of 1's and 0's formed into the artificial beast from deep inside the cybernetic realm. Has then brought back two Ignister monsters from his Graveyard and then used them to Link Summon another monster called Dark Templar Ignister.

He then used his Dark Templar Ignister to Link Summon a monster called Rasterliger. Hans tributed one of his Ignister monsters so it could destroy Cora's Blue-Eyes.

But then, Selene the Empress of Endymion appeared and saved Cora's Blue-Eyes with her incredible magic.

Even though he had his precious Banner of Yeyu to protect him and give him power, Cora and Yumi worked together flawlessly to bring him down. Every time, they summoned monsters with their attack power to the limit. Something he did not expect. He figured they would have tired out by now, but their Ener-D was practically infinite. Blue-Eyes and Endymion monsters swarmed the field one after the other, taking down Han's Ignister monsters. No matter what he did, he could not stop them. Cora's Blue-Eyes were pure power and Yumi's Endymion monsters were negating his every move, zapping them of all their power.

Before Hans knew it, he could summon nothing more. They were all tired and exhausted. Cora and Yumi collapsed on the ground. Their clothes were torn and burnt. Yumi had blood trickling down her lip. Cora had a gash under her chin from when Wind Pegasus attacked her head-on in a cheap shot. Had it not been for her Blue-Eyes White Dragon, she would have been killed on the spot.

Hans felt his soul being sucked out by the banner. "No..." he wailed. "This can't be! I've trained for years to use the Banner of Yeyu! I was supposed to win!"

Hans let out a scream of agony before he turned into a stream of light. The stream was sucked into the center of the banner, which then faded away and shot into the sky, leaving behind a clap of thunder.

* * *

**Ralsh**

* * *

Ralsh sighed, staring into the flames of the fireplace. He tapped his foot on the ground impatiently, wondering how the Duel ended so quickly and turned out to be a blunder. The Banner of Yeyu was supposed to be the key to granting them victory. Instead, it worked in favor of Cora and Yumi.

"Seems like Hans wasn't cut out to use the Banner of Yeyu," he said.

"It most-likely ignored him," said River, reading a book while resting on a loveseat. "The Banner of Yeyu is a capable weapon but weak in the hands of an incompetent fool."

"Ouch," Ralsh said with a chuckle. "That's harsh, River. Very harsh."

River chuckled cruelly, not caring that they lost a member of their order for all eternity. "In any case, Hans is no longer in the realm of the living. His soul was taken by the Banner. And if we're not careful, the same will happen to the rest of us."

"I knew I should have been chosen to take her out first," a young man with long pink hair said coming into the chamber. "I warned you that Hans didn't have what it took to wield the Banner of Yeyu."

"Taegan," said Ralsh, turning around to see his fellow member of the order.

"I'm going next," Taegan said arrogantly. "Any problem with that?"

Ralsh smirked and waved him off. "She's all yours."


	25. The Prodigy

**Cora**

* * *

"You have to eat!" Krissa pressed on.

"No," Cora said, pushing her plate away. "Baby, I'm sorry, but I'm just not hungry. I don't know what took place last night, but I almost lost Mai and Miss Goldwine."

Krissa picked up Cora's plate. Kasumi held up her hand to protest. "Don't throw that away, honey. I'll take it."

"Okay, good," Krissa said, handing her the plate. "Wasting food is a sin."

"Not kissing you for so long should be a sin," Cora teased, to which Krissa leaned down to give her a quick one, for she was called back to the kitchen to pick up her next order.

"Well, I'll see you tonight, Cora?" Krissa said, picking up the coffee pot.

"Yeah, dress nicely. We're having steak."

"Sounds good to me. As long as you're buying I'm happy. Bye guys. Have fun at school."

Yumi and Kasumi waved goodbye. They sat together opposite of Cora in the booth of a restaurant where they stopped to have breakfast. The summoning they did in the so-called Holy Duel drained them. Yumi and Cora felt like they had run for miles. It took a moment for them to get up from the roof. A blizzard forced them back on their feet. The walk was long and brutal, on the count of their clothes being torn up from the battle. Thankfully, they were warm and safe from the blizzard. It raged outside, but that did not stop the supporters of the Emerald Fire Party from coming out and showing their support for the people now in charge of the government of the city's government. It was now going to be difficult for the King to undo any changes the Covenant wanted to bring to Eredas.

But politics did not matter to Cora. Her mind was on something else. Something far more precious. She couldn't get Krissa out of her mind. Where was she? What were they doing to her? What did they want with her? And would she find herself locked in a Duel with the Banner of Yeyu again?

"How are Mai and Miss Goldwine?" Yumi asked

"You have to eat something, Cora," Yumi said, sliding the plate back towards her. "What if they find us again?"

Kasumi sighed. "She has a point. Come on. Just have a bite."

Yumi checked her watch. "Hmm. We should also head for the academy, it's almost time for school."

Cora shook her head. "You two go ahead. I don't feel like going to school today."

"No, no, no!" Kasumi slapped the top of Cora's hand. "That is not a good idea. You have to go to class, Cora. You miss a day and your father is going to know about it."

"My dad is in a coma! What's he going to do. Besides, two people I love were threatened by a group of radical religious freaks! You really think I feel like learning about the Centaur Civil War of the Ruby Coast? I've got far too much on my mind to worry about these things."

Kasumi was about to protest until Yumi held out her hand to stop her from speaking. "If that's what you think is best, fine," she said. "But what are we going to do if those Duelists come back and use that Banner of Yeyu again."

"You really think they will?" Cora asked. She jabbed her eggs with her fork and ate just one.

"They want your soul, remember? The only way they can get it is with that Banner. I guarantee last night will not be the last we see of that card. A strong Duelist isn't going to be enough."

"I disagree," said Kasumi. "My father once taught me that those who excel in the game and are one with their monsters are capable of incredible magical capabilities. A force he calls the _Xie'bou Yun Bun_."

"My father spoke of force similar to the one you're talking about," said Yumi. "The Heart of the Cards. Could he be right?"

"You never know," Cora said with a shrug. "I mean, he has a tendency of drawing what he needs when he needs it. It's almost unfair. But how is that possible to do such a thing when the deck is already stacked and shuffled?" She giggled. "Wouldn't that be cheating?"

"That's a topic for another time," said Kasumi. "But I think our friends have as much faith in their cards as Yugi does. That should be enough to aid them against the Banner."

"You'd better be right," said Cora. "There's a lot more at stake in those Duels if you lose. Jericho and Madeline look like they can handle themselves. But I don't want M and the others getting involved unless they can prove they can handle it. I love them. And I don't want them getting hurt."

"Well, well, well," Yumi said. "The new mayor of Domino."

The girls looked at the screen and saw the man who the city elected as Mayor of Domino City, standing proudly behind a podium in front of the House of Gray.

"The people have spoken!" he shouted into the microphone as a parade of supporters carrying Covenant and Emerald Fire flags marched in front of him. "Too long have we lived under the status quo! It is now a time for change. All over Eredas, proud delegates of the Emerald Fire Party are being elected into office. And I promise you, friends of the faith, that we will bring you great and prosperous changes! Those changes will begin here in Yeyu Domino!"

"Yeyu Domino!" shouted Kasumi. "Is he out of his fucking mind!?"

"And what's so wrong with the status quo?" said Cora. "It's been working out for everyone since the foundation of the city."

"How is something like this possible?" Yumi wondered, shivering in fear. "I mean, isn't Eredas pro-Goddess?"

"We are," Kasumi answered. "But start opening the gates to people from the Naralia and Balodrum, and you'll start seeing changes going on. Naralian refugees now outnumber us two-to-one. I didn't think it was a big deal, but with the loss of the Emerald Marches in Elleria, yeah. That's when all hell broke loose. Holy Patrols. DESMAGI. The disrespect for our culture, the erasing of our history. Churches being erect in every corner. Pfft, that was just the start. Now they're but a seat away from the throne."

"Prince Michael will never allow it," said Cora. "He's a patriot."

"You said so yourself, Cora. He's just the Prince. There's nothing he can do about it. And with all these Emerald Fire freaks in office, they're going to make his rule a hell of a lot difficult. King Eldon might as well be some old guy with an expensive hat on his head at this point. They're going to restrict the hell out of his power."

"But he's the king!" Yumi said.

"Maybe that meant something a long time ago, darling, but things are different. There was a time when Kings meant nothing in Termnnia. Did you know Barons used to govern what was what here in Termnnia? Even with Tiberius the Uniter came into power, they did anything and everything to keep him from using his power. They even made a decree to prohibit him from using the God Cards."

Cora slurped the last of her milk and said: "Something tells me they're going to do the same thing to Yuri when he gets back. On my way to school, I saw a couple of those DESMAGI freaks carrying a sign that made my blood boil." She took out her phone and flipped through her pictures. A few were some provocative shots of Krissa.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Kasumi asked.

"Nothing," Cora said, swiping through the shots until she found the picture she was searching for. There was a masked member of the DESMAGI group holding up a sign that said: **I WISH ANUBIS SUCCEEDED!**

"Is he for real?" Kasumi said in shock. "They're propaganda has turned our people against our savior from the Dark Lord?"

Yumi shook her head. "You know, being stuck in the forge doesn't sound so bad after all."

* * *

After school, the students were forced to go home due to the escalation of the protests happening throughout the city. As much as they wanted to stay and hunker down in the arenas all over the academy, they were forced to go home. Outside, they were met by a mob of angry, magic-hating, Covenant-supporting protesters shouting terrible insults at the students and dehumanizing them with signs that bore horrible slurs. They wore black ski-masks, caps, and scarves to cover their identities like the cowards that they were. Knights flooded the area around the academy and held up their tower shields to protect the students from rocks and garbage being thrown.

Brandy stayed close to her group, thinking she would be safe, but then a protester managed to stretch his body out of the barrier and toss a cup of urine at her. She screamed as a knight smashed the protester's face with his shield and stuck a sword through his mouth to silence him. That caused the protesters to back away. These knights, armored in black with long, black capes, were from Prince Michael's Royal Glaive. Michael hated the DESMAGI, and was no afraid to authorize deadly force against protesters who turned to violence.

Suddenly, DESMAGI thugs hiding in the trees launched fireworks at the students, causing them to scatter into the mob where they beat them with fists and yogurt cups filled with concrete for extra damage. Summoners were called to conjured Sentry Soldier of Stone and Giant Soldier of Steel to act as both the shield and sword for the students. At once, the Giant Sentry of Steel knocked the thugs out of the tree and smashed them underneath his foot like ants. The protesters scattered like roaches, disappearing into the forest as Kaiba Corp's Special Security Force - AZURE - took pursuit to hunt them down and arrest them.

"We can't go home in this!" shouted Kasumi, holding on to Brandy, who was screaming wildly.

Gunshots popped in the night. Students screamed and ran for shelter.

"Yeah, I can't go back in this," said Nixie. "There has to be a place we can take shelter until the protests die down."

"I know a place we can stay," said Cora. "It's not far from here come on!"

There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Seto Kaiba would order the construction of an underground Dueling Arena beneath the foundation of the luxury towers, built long ago by the Urban Development Department of Kaiba Corp.

For this, Cora Kaiba was quite pleased. With the curfew going on outside by the Domino City Security Forces, there was nowhere for she and her friends to go, so they were trapped underneath the building until further notice. With all the food and Dueling going on below, no one seemed to mind. Many who crammed into the arena were civilians who did not even live in the Kaiba Towers, but stragglers seeking to escape the violence and the rainstorm blowing outside.

The arena was lit with a dark blue light, a few rows of round ceiling lamps, and the oranges, pinks, reds, and blues of various neon and holographic signs. But those colors lost their battle for supremacy over the dark blue tinge that flooded the arena, feeling more like an entire district strip. Two floors of shops selling food, cards, Kaiba Corp merchandise, clothing, even a pharmacy with medicine, which was packed with people trying to find aid for their injured loved ones. They hurried to a shopping center to find new clothes while Nixie and Amy took Brandy to a shower in the swimming pool seven levels down to clean her from the filth that was thrown at her.

A screen above a Dueling Arena showed the carnage. Cars were turned over. Some were burning. Trees were lit on fire and statues of the Goddesses were taken down and replaced with crude effigies of the symbol of Yeyu. 2600 arrests and over 200 executions. But still, the supporters of Emerald Fire took to the streets to let the people of Domino know that their love for Duel Monsters, magic, and many other freedoms were about to be a memory.

"It's so scary out there," Yumi said, flapping the straps of her tank top. Her skin turning a shade of baby blue from the lighting, dotted white from the sweat that still dripped from their pores. She leaned against the wall beside Cora, both of them resting from a long game of basketball. "Thank the Goddesses its safe in here."

"Yeah, no kidding," Cora replied before slurping the last of her soda. "I'm just glad many of the poor suckers stuck in here are Duelists."

"Some have no choice but to be Duelists," said Yumi. "Especially after that rule your father set up before the war. People aren't allowed to be citizens of Domino until their Dueling Decks get registered. He really has gone full tyrant of this city since the Daltons gave him power atop that space station. He could be a king by now."

Cora laughed. "King? No way. I told him that one time and this is what he said." She lowered her voice to mimic her father's cold and scratchy voice. "_King? Me? Do you know how much power I would have to give up to be King?"_

"Oh my?" said Yumi. "And he's okay with that?"

Cora replied with another shrug and leaned her head backward. The black Kaiba Corp cap tapped against the wall stopping her from bashing her head on the metal. It was on backward giving her a tomboyish appearance. She smelled a tad pungent; for the blue basketball jersey, with a knot tied over her midriff to cool herself, was soaked in sweat. Kaiba was written in white letters with the numbers 01 on the bottom. Her denim cutoffs showed off much of her legs and garnered some unwanted attention as they played. Yumi recalled the large group of boys ogling at them from behind the chain link fence making her feel a tad awkward as though she were an animal behind glass at the zoo.

Cora tossed her soda cup into the nearby trashcan. The basketball was tucked under the crook of her arm. She grew tired of holding it and set it down on the floor beside Yumi's feet. Yumi put her sneaker-laden foot on it to keep it from rolling.

"I heard he's going to be seriously involved with the Covenant if they interfere with Duel Monsters," said Yumi. "He's going to fight them with everything he's got."

"Can you blame him?" Cora asked, wiping the sweat from her brow. "With the Covenant coming into power and massacring Duelists all over Termnnia, Seto doesn't want the likes of them in the city. And you and I both know that this city was made by Duelists for Duelists. So don't start getting all sympathetic on those who don't want to play."

"And what of the Yeyunists who do live here? He can't just kick them out and force them to do something they don't want to. We'd be no better than they are."

Cora shrugged her question off again. "They can stay and practice, provided they pay the appropriate taxes."

Yumi scoffed. "Wow!" she said, crossing her arms in disgust.

"Come on, Yumi, you can't really be feeling sympathy for these people? They bomb Dueling arenas, murder Duelists, mages, hunt beast folk like they're common game, and vandalize the Temples of the Goddesses. The Goddesses you hold so dear to your heart."

Yumi pursed her lips.

Cora ridiculed her silence. "I understand people are free to practice what they want, but when they resort to violence to force others to think the way they think and believe what they want to believe is crossing the line. And they did! Therefore, Seto had their privileges canceled. For the sake of the Goddesses, Yumi, they started this war! Plunged Termnnia into chaos! Believe what you want to believe; my dad is doing the people of this city a great service by restricting the rights of those animals!"

"I understand what he's trying to do," Yumi replied sharply. "But there are better ways to go about this you know."

"By all means, baby, if you got a solution, I'd love to hear it."

"I don't," said Yumi. "Just because I feel differently about some things doesn't mean I have the solution to make it better. But still, getting a Dueling Deck registered by the government? Isn't that a little extreme? I mean it's just a card game."

Cora was not too pleased with that remark. "I should put you over my knee and spank you for saying that," she said, causing Yumi to flush. "How disrespectful of you. Duel Monsters more than just a game to our people. It saves lives. It's built kingdoms and forged our homeland into what it is now. There's so much history in this game, kiddo. Not to mention it made your father the man he is now."

"Yell at me, why don't you?" Yumi responded with a chuckle. "And put me over your knee? You're starting to sound like my godmother."

Cora burst out laughing. "Oh man, Mai Valentine the Delight of Termnnia acting motherly. Oh, I can see it now."

Yumi punched her in the arm repeatedly. "You would want to see that_ pervert_!"

Though her punch was playful, the force of her knuckles striking Cora's bicep caused quite a sting.

"Oh-ho," Cora remarked while cringing from the pain. "Little Yumi's got one hell of a punch. I guess those guns of yours aren't for display only."

"No, they're not," Yumi said with a crooked smile and showing off her toned muscles earned from her long days at the forge. She did not even put her full power in that strike. Yumi's punch had enough strength to knock out a man with one strike. It surely would have done more damage to Cora's arm if she wanted to.

"Well, why don't you take out some of that frustration on some of these amateurs in here? It'll be good practice, and you can discover some new combos and strategies for your deck." Cora tugged on one of her long white socks striped in blue on the top to warm her chilled knee.

"Why not? After all, there's still the matter of those Banner Duelists. We need to make sure our friends can handle a Duel like that."

"That's the spirit," said Cora.

Her phone buzzed and gave off the jingle Cora chose for Krissa when she texted her.

**I heard what happened at the academy! Is everything okay?**

**Yeah. I'm in an underground Dueling Ground taking shelter. Where r u?**

**I just got out of work**

**Go straight home ok? Take the bus and stay alert. It's getting really nasty out there**

The grunt of a nearby refugee caught her ears, followed by more shouts, grunts, and gasps.

"Excuse me! Step aside, please! Move! Out of the way! Genius coming through!"

"Uh oh," Cora chuckled, placing her hands on the back of her head. "I smell trouble."

The pushy individual kept shoving her way towards the two girls, both of whom were expecting someone their age to come through the throng of weary folks.

"Wow," Yumi said, finally seeing who was causing such a ruckus.

A little Eldori girl, to taller than Yugi. She was blonde, her hair tied into two fluffy pigtails with pink beads. She wore a pink/yellow sweater, a red skirt, brown boots, and long black socks. A teddy bear rested on the hook of her arm.

"There you are, thief!" shouted the little girl.

"I think you have me confused with someone else," said Yumi.

The girl pointed at her dramatically. "I don't think so!" she shouted. "You're the one everybody's been talking about. You're Yugi Muto's daughter are you not?"

Yumi blew one of her lightning bolt bangs off her face. "I am, but I've never seen you before. Just who might you be?"

The girl closed her eyes and smiled, holding up a pretentious finger in the air. "Who might I be? Who might I be? I'm Rebecca Hawkins."

"Doesn't ring the bell," said Yumi.

"So did you just get here or something?" Cora asked. "Where are your parents?"

"They're back in Rassay," Rebecca boasted.

Cora raised a concerned eyebrow. "You can't be traveling out there alone, it's dangerous."

"I can take of myself," Rebecca sharply retorted. "And if I ever run into trouble, I've got Teddy to protect me!" She held up her bear in front of her face. "Isn't that right, Teddy?"

Cora awkwardly rolled her eyes to the left. "Wow, she talks to the bear. This is so rich."

"So what exactly do you want with me?" Yumi asked.

"I demand the card your great-grandfather stole from me this instant."

"My great-grandpa?" Yumi pondered. "You mean Solomon. He's many leagues from here."

"Yeah? Well, I saw images of the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon on TV. I know he must have given it to you. Hand over the card now!"

"What card?"

"My Blue-Eyes White Dragon! I want it back."

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon?" Cora tried not to laugh. "You really think Yumi has a Blue-Eyes White Dragon? Who are you kidding? My father has the…wait…"

She recalled the first time Seto had brought her to the Kaiba Corp tower. He told her of how there were four Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards that survived High Queen Evangelia's purge of House Rosenkruez thousands of years ago.

"_I searched my whole life for those dragons_," Seto said, showing her the cards in his car. "_There was one more left. Yugi's grandfather had the fourth but I tore it up so it would never be used against me. That way only I would be the only one in the world to wield the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon_."

"Uhh," Cora said.

Rebecca held her finger up again. "The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is an ultra-rare card that only belongs in the deck of a true champion. And I happen to be a true champion. I traveled all over Termnnia beating the best Duelists in every kingdom."

"You've beaten the best Duelists?" Yumi asked. "Wait a minute, this is starting to come back to me. Yes, just before we left the Northern Gate, I read an article in the paper about a Dueling prodigy. You must be her, then. You caused quite a sensation here in Domino."

Rebecca adored the recognition and bobbed her head up and down proudly. "That's right, and my skills have earned me a lifetime scholarship at the prodigious school Duelist Academy. I heard that only the best of the best live in that school, and I aim to take them all down, as soon as you give back my Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Cora chortled. "Sorry, honey, but there might be a problem."

"This doesn't concern you, you slut! This is between me and Yugi's daughter."

"Excuse me!" Cora shouted. She felt as though someone tied a knot in her chest. "What did you just call me?"

"Yeah, you heard what I said!" Rebecca said with a conniving grin. "And who wouldn't jump to that conclusion with those clothes your wearing? It looks like you're ready to be picked up at the street corner, doesn't she, Teddy?"

She held the bear over her face and shimmied it around to make it look like he was talking.

** _Rrrrr! Yes, she does Rrrrebecca. And for cheap, too!_ **

"Wow," said Yumi. "Such a foul mouth for one so young."

"And I'm about to swell it up!" Cora fumed, coming off the wall and balling her fists. "How dare you!? I'm a girl of the highest pedigree!"

"Take it easy, Cora," Yumi pleaded while grabbing her wrist. "Don't get rough. She may be an obnoxious little brat, but she's still just a kid."

"I don't give a fuck, Yumi! She can't talk to anyone that way! Especially me! Do you have any idea who I am!? I'm Cora daughter of Seto Kaiba."

"What a lie," said Rebecca. "There was never any news of Seto Kaiba having a child, let alone getting married. It's all a big lie. Yeah, you're a liar just like Little Miss Yumi over here. Now stop stalling and hand over the Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

"Blue-Eyes," Yumi slapped her hand on her forehead. "I still can't believe you think I'd have it. And even if I did, what makes you think you're entitled to it?"

"Who gives a shit what she thinks!?" shouted Cora. "If she wants to see a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, she's going to see a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. You and me Duel right here, right now!"

Rebecca bounced one of her pigtails. "A girl of low-stature such as you is not worth my time."

"Maybe this will change your mind," Cora growled, unbuttoning the deck case strapped to her thigh.

She showed Rebecca her deck. The sight of the dragons shining in every foil from Ultra, Ultimate, Gold, Secret, and even Ghost Rare certainly shut her up.

"Those…those can't be real!"

"They are," Cora snapped back. "My father made them just for me. And I dominated the halls of Duelist Academy with this deck."

Rebecca sneered. "Fine, whatever you say. Ha, you don't look so tough. What are the terms?"

"You apologize to me and my friend for your rude behavior. And then you are to leave and never bother us again."

"Fine," said Rebecca. "But if I win, your deck is all mine."

Yumi gasped. "Cora, those dragons may have been gifted to you, but they still belong to your father."

"Deal," said Cora. "Are you going to play or what?"

"Yes we are," said Rebecca. "Let's do this."

They searched for an empty arena. All four of them were occupied so they had to wait for their turn to play. Once a group of players was done, they hopped aboard the platforms; both of them fired up to play and prove their worth, none more than Cora who was still bothered by Rebecca's remarks.

Their Life Points displayed 8000 in holographic screens above the arena.

"I'll let you start first, slut!" Rebecca jeered.

"I am going to wipe that smug grin off your face, you little bitch!" Cora snarled, drawing her card. "Wow," she said. "You would go that far, Seto."

"What did you draw?" Yumi asked, watching the game from the left side of the arena, leaning over one of the rails overlooking the deep pit where the holograms would be displayed.

"Something special, courtesy of my dad. I summon Kaibaman!"

The arena sparkled. The lights of the projectors burst into many colors while working to conjure the oversized Phantom meant to be displayed in arenas this large.

"HA!" Kaibaman shouted finally being displayed on the field. He wore a white jacket and black bodysuit similar to what Seto sported in the Battle City Tournament years ago. A helmet shaped like a Blue-Eyes White Dragon's head shielded his. Long, reddish-brown hair protruded from the helmet.

**Kaibaman**

**ATK/200 DEF/700**

**LV 3**

"What a wimpy monster," sneered Rebecca.

"You won't be doing battle with him," said Cora. "Because I'm going to Tribute him so I can Special Summon this little cutie from my hand! Go, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

At first, Rebecca did not know how to react when she saw the glimmer radiating off the Zone Cora placed her dragon in. But then, the legendary dragon rose out of the glimmer, shaking the arena with its trademark metallic roar. The sight of the legendary beast drew quite a crowd.

"No matter how many times I see it," Yumi whispered to herself. "I just can't help but feel amazed by that beast. And Cora, being able to summon them herself in real life. She really is something special."

"It's your move!" Cora called out, confident Rebecca would not be able to summon anything to beat her dragon.

"Ooooo!" cried Rebecca, squeezing her teddy bear ever so tightly. "What am I going to do!? Huh?" She put the bear's mouth close to her ear. "What's that, Teddy? You think so?"

Cora's eyes rolled upwards. She fanned her face with her cards. "You've got to be kidding me," she groaned.

"Your Blue-Eyes is impressive and all, but I think it's time he went bye-bye." She threw her card on the board. "Boom! Tribute to the Doomed!"

"What!" Cora shouted in surprise.

"That's right," Rebecca boasted. "I discard a puny monster from my hand to activate it. A small price to pay for destroying your dragon!"

Blue-Eyes White Dragon hissed and bellowed as white cloth wraps slithered out of the ground and wrapped themselves around the dragon until it was completely covered. A demonic hand menacingly loomed out of the ground, and grabbed the dragon, dragging it to the Graveyard.

Cora was dumbfounded. It was not often that someone found a way to destroy her Blue-Eyes so quickly. But something else came to mind. As the dragon was dragged to the Graveyard, she could have sworn she heard Seto screaming in agony. Something pierced her heart so violently. She felt it sting.

"Daddy?" Cora whispered. "What…what happened?"

Rebecca jumped up and down laughing.

"You. Little. Bitch," Cora muttered, arms forward on the board.

"Real or not, your dragon is gone! So much for trying to scare me, huh? You underestimated me, but it doesn't bother me. Not the first time someone did. So, what to do now? Decisions, decisions. Oh, this will do. I summon a monster in defense mode, set a card face-down, and end my turn."

"Not bad," said Cora. "Well, since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon this from my hand. Kaiser Vorse Raider!" (ATK/1900 DEF/1200 LV 5)

She attacked, slicing a giant tomato with a demonic face.

"Mystic Tomato?" said Cora.

"Yes, it," said Rebecca. "And you should know that when it's destroyed in battle, I can Special Summon a monster from my deck, so I'll summon another Mystic Tomato in Defense Mode."

"Sure, whatever." Cora was unimpressed by her move. "And you should know that when Kaiser Vorse Raider destroys a monster, he gains five-hundred attack points!"

"So what?" said Rebecca. "Draw! I play the Spell Card; Swords of Revealing Light!"

A rain of swords comprised of the purest light rained down on the field, trapping Kaiser Vorse Raider in their confines.

Cora decided to play her little game and did nothing throughout the duration of the sword's effect, save for placing cards face-down. Meanwhile, Rebecca was playing spells that discarded monsters to the Graveyard such as Trade In, Graceful Charity, and even Card Destruction, forcing them to discard their hands to draw a new one.

She hated to admit it, but her pride was sliced open as though a flaming sword pierced through her bosom. To summon her Blue-Eyes White Dragon so quickly just to lose it on her opponent's first turn was nothing short of devastating, especially for someone whose ego was just as bloated as her father's. Speaking of which, she was still haunted by the scream she heard earlier. It was her father, no doubt about it. He was giving off such a blood-curdling shriek that chilled Cora to the bone.

And the way her dragon was dragged to the grave fogged her mind. Despite losing her Blue-Eyes White Dragon, she had plenty more cards to use against the now three face-down defense monsters Rebecca played. But Cora did not want a repeat of what happened to her first Blue-Eyes White Dragon. She was playing it safe, and the thought of losing to someone so young and obnoxious was a pejorative one. There was just no way she could allow this to happen.

Cora ended her turn, and then Rebecca sacrificed one of her defense position monsters to summon another monster face-down.

Yumi noticed Cora's awkward behavior. She was silent and still. So unlike her. In her mind, she prayed that even Cora knew the monster she Tribute Summoned in Defense Mode was going to be one with a powerful defense.

"Make your move!" shouted Rebecca.

So she did.

"All right, I'll move," said Cora. "I summon The King of Dragons!"

**The King of D.**

**ATK/1200 DEF/1100**

**LV 4**

Cora's newest monster impressed the crowd. He was a tall, forbidding figure with glowing, golden eyes. He wore a black bodysuit and armor made of dragon bone. A torn red cape with a high collar flapped behind him. He carried a three-headed guitar resembling a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

Cora, quite pleased with how the card looked like when rendered, continued with her turn, activating a spell called Dragon Shrine. It allowed her to discard a dragon from the deck to the Graveyard. It was her second Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Since it was a Normal monster, Cora could discard a second dragon to her Graveyard. A Tuner called White Stone of Ancients.

"And now," said Cora, "I discard a Spell from my hand to activate Dragon Revival Rhapsody!"

The King of Dragons played his guitar. The music he created shook the arena and boomed louder than thunder. The spell Cora used, allowed her to summon two Dragons from the Graveyard so long as one of them was Normal. Her Blue-Eyes White Dragon and her White Stone of Ancients burst onto the field as if born from the music he created.

"Woo!" cheered Yumi. "Rock on, Cora!"

Cora chuckled softly at her lame humor.

"But I'm not through yet because now I will Tune my White Stone of Ancients with my Blue-Eyes White Dragon to perform a Synchro Summon."

As the White Stone of Ancients shot out a beam of brilliant light, glittering with golden sparkles, The Blue-Eyes White Dragon soared into it.

Cora put her hand over her breast. "From the shining heavens of the Divines emerges the spirit that radiates constantly in my heart. The clouds disperse and make way for the beast with Eyes of Blue. Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon!"

"Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon?" Rebecca gasped in amazement.

The heavenly beast loomed downward towards the field in a veil of light as though it was an angel sent from the High Power himself.

**Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon**

**ATK/2500 DEF/3000**

**LV 9**

"My Spirit Dragon won't be around for long, for I will now tribute to Special Summon a monster from my Extra Deck. Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon, call upon the beast of silver to take your place."

Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon roared and dispersed into thousands of tiny lights. Then, they merged together into another beast.

**Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon**

**ATK/2500 DEF/3000**

**LV 9**

Per, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon's effect, Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon forced it to be summoned in Defense mode.

"My Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon will prevent my other dragons from being targeted and destroyed by your card effects. So don't think you can pull a fast one on me again!"

"She must be telling the truth," Rebecca said softly. "Besides, Seto Kaiba, I've never seen someone use these monsters. And all those support cards. I've heard rumors about Kaiba adopting some brat, but never did I expect it to be someone like her." She narrowed her eyes. "But just because her claim as Seto Kaiba's daughter is legit, it doesn't mean she's going to beat me!"

"Kaiser Vorse Raider!" shouted Cora. "Attack the middle monster!"

Kaiser Vorse Raider grunted, raising his overly designed battle axe before leaping into the air.

"Cora wait!" cried Yumi.

Too late.

Rebecca jumped up and down jeering. "Your puny Vorse Raider just attacked my Millennium Shield."

"Millennium Shield?" Cora whispered.

KLANG! Kaiser Vorse Raider's axe slammed on the golden surface of the shield that seemed to be forged by Gods. With a DEF of 3000, it could withstand Cora's attack, dealing 600 points of damage to her Life Points.

**Cora-7400 LP**

**Rebecca-8000 LP**

"What's gotten into you?" Yumi asked. "Cora this is so unlike you."

"She's probably come to terms with the fact that she's out of her league," Rebecca bragged. She held her bear tightly. "Did you see the look on her face when her Kaiser Vorse Raider struck my Millennium Shield, Teddy?"

** _Rrrr! I surrrre did, Rebecca. Grrreat Dueling!_ **

"Knock it off, please," Yumi begged. "Tell me I wasn't that deluded with my doll at her age."

"I end my turn," said Cora.

"Now it's my turn, weee!" Rebecca drew and squealed. "Weee! Look what card I drew Teddy! Lookie! Lookie!"

Cora smashed her fist on the board. "Get on with it!"

"Ew! That ugly slut is yelling at me, Teddy! Let's make her pay with the card we drew. Judgment Blaster!"

"What's that!?" Cora shouted.

"Judgement Blaster allows me to discard up to five cards from my hand, and in exchange…"

The field started glowing purple. A ball of energy rose out of the floor and burst, shattering Kaiser Vorse Raider into pieces. The King of Dragons was also consumed by the blast, but Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon was not affected.

"Weee, now I tribute my puny face-down monster to summon Shadow Ghoul!"

The Mystic Tomato she sacrificed shrieked in pain and was replaced by a horrible beast standing four meters tall. It had six legs, long arms with jagged claws. A mane of greenish-black hair ran from the back of its head and down the length of its back. Its dark green body covered with red orbs which were its eyes. The creature rubbed its mandibles together. Sticky saliva oozed down its mouth.

**Shadow Ghoul**

**ATK/1600 DEF/1300**

**LV 5**

"Ew, it's hideous!" Yumi said cringing.

Rebecca leaned forward with a maniacal sneer. "From the deep, dark depths of your nightmares comes the all-lovable Shadow Ghoul! And this cutie gets extra one-hundred attack points for every lame-o monster in my Graveyard."

"Every monster in the Graveyard?" said Cora. "Shit, you tossed away fourteen!"

"Uh-huh, and now my Shadow Ghoul's ATK increases to three-thousand!"

"No way," said Yumi. "She tossed away all those poor monsters just to feed their energy to that thing? My father would have a few things to say to her."

"Hee, hee, hee!" giggled Rebecca. "Lucky for you, your dragon's defense and my Shadow Ghoul's attack are the same. But you better enjoy her while you can, because when I'm through with her, she'll be in the graveyard. I end my turn."

"Think I'm afraid of your ghoul?" Cora said drawing. "I choose to end my turn without playing a card."

"Ha," laughed Rebecca. "You're not even trying. Now, I offer my face-down monster to summon Cannon Soldier MK-2!"

The sound of metal joints clanking, gears whirring, and computer systems humming filled the arena. A cloud of thick smoke erupted from the Zone where Rebecca played her monster. The robotic menace was equipped with two photon cannons and powerful gatling guns in its hands.

**Cannon Soldier MK-2**

**ATK/1900 DEF/1200**

**LV 5**

"Now I activate my Cannon Soldier Mark Two's special ability. By tributing two of my wimpy monsters, it can inflict fifteen hundred points of damage to your Life Points. So now I offer my face-down Witch of the Black Forest!"

The Witch screamed as she was broken down to mere energy and sucked into the weapons systems of the robot.

"Millennium Shield, you've served your purpose. Now it's time to go!"

The Shield was melted down, also being sucked into the Cannon Soldier. The weapons charged and fired blasts of white-colored energy at Cora. Her pod shook up and down from the impact. Cora grunted, shielding her eyes from the blast with her forearm. When the blast subsided, and everything was calm, she looked up, grinding her teeth.

**Cora- 6100 LP**

Rebecca cheered, swinging her teddy bear around and around. "And don't forget, that's two more monsters in my Graveyard, plus the other puny monster I sacrificed for my Cannon Soldier. Now my adorable Shadow Ghoul's attack increases to thirty-three hundred! More than enough to destroy your puny dragon!"

Shadow Ghoul screeched, holding up its claws ready to strike down Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon.

"I activate a Quick-Play Spell!" called Cora. "Majesty with Eyes of Blue!" Her Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon rose behind Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon. It looked down at Shadow Ghoul; it's Blue-Eyes pierced into the dark monster's soul, forcing it to stop.

"What happened?" Rebecca wondered seeing Shadow Ghoul freeze as though it saw a hideous phantom. "My Shadow Ghoul can't move."

"Majesty with Eyes of Blue forces me to send a Blue-Eyes monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. The discarded monster's spirit then gazes into the soul of your beast with its heavenly blue-eyes. The monster is so mesmerized by the stare that it can no longer attack, so long as it's face-up on the field."

"Oh no! My Shadow Ghoul can't attack!"

With nothing else to do, Rebecca finished her turn.

"Draw!" Cora said. She activated a spell called Cards of Consonance, discarding her White Stone of Legend to draw two cards. With the Stone sent to the Graveyard, she could add her last Blue-Eyes White Dragon to her hand from the Deck. Then she played Melody of Awakening Dragon to add two dragons with 3000 or more ATK and 2500 or less DEF. Then Trade-In, sending her Dragon Spirit of White to the Graveyard to draw two more cards.

"I activate Silver's Cry!" Cora said activating her Spell Card. With this card, she could Special Summon a Normal dragon from her Graveyard. Her Blue-Eyes White Dragon returned to the field in all its glory.

"Now, I activate Return of the Dragon Lords to bring back my second Blue-Eyes from the Graveyard. Then, I play Polymerization, fusing my two Blue-Eyes in the field and in my hand to create Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

"OH NO!" cried Rebecca.

**Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon**

**ATK/4500 DEF/3800**

**LV 12**

"Your Shadow Ghoul will torment me no longer!" shouted Cora. "Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Hyper Neutron Blast!"

The dragons opened their mouths, charging up their energy beams. Their eyes rolled to the back of their heads and the muscles on their mouths twitched.

Rebecca giggled. "I don't think so!" she sang.

"What!?"

"I activate the Trap Card, Deal of Phantom! This card will increase the attack points of my Shadow Ghoul by one hundred for each card I have in the Graveyard for the duration of the turn!"

"That raises the Shadow Ghoul's attack to five thousand!" shouted Yumi.

Shadow Ghoul's eyes shot green lasers for a multi-directional assault. Now that it was fully powered up, the lasers were strong enough to block Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's attack, pushing back the beams and dispersing them. The green lasers then struck the dragon's body shattering it to pieces.

"What?" Cora breathed softly. Watching one of the most powerful dragons in her deck get destroyed so easily, and by a child of all things, was damning for her.

"Nothing can stop me!" shouted Rebecca. "Nothing! I'm the best Duelist there is! Weeee!"

"You really don't like dragons do you?" said Cora. "Too bad, because here comes another to take my Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's place." She brought the card to her lips. "You're my last hope," she whispered. "Don't let me down." She kissed the card and put it on the field. A stream of white, heavenly light was cast onto the field. The sound of a thousand silver bells ringing in unison rang in everyone's ears.

"Infinite time, Oh white strength hidden within its origin, spread your wings in the echo of intersecting souls, and come forth from the blue abyss! Come forth, Deep-Eyes White Dragon!"

The angelic cousin of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon gave a roar resembling the toll of a golden bell.

**Deep-Eyes White Dragon**

**ATK/0 DEF/0**

**LV 10**

Rebecca pointed and laughed. "That thing? You've got to be kidding me. It looks like a giant chicken.

"Laugh all you want," said Cora. "My Deep-Eyes White Dragon is going to finally put an end to your games."

"With zero attack points?" Rebecca laughed. "You're joking?"

"Does it look like I'm fucking joking you little ingrate!" Cora said, almost in a shout. "My Deep-Eyes White Dragon gains the attack and defense of the fallen monster, so my Deep-Eyes White Dragon's attack is now forty-five hundred. And, you take six-hundred points of damage for every dragon I have in the Graveyard.

"Oh no, Teddy!" Rebecca squealed, clutching her teddy closer. "She has nine dragons in the Graveyard!"

"For a total of fifty-four hundred points of damage to your Life Points!" said Yumi. "You are so screwed, child."

Deep-Eyes White Dragon's blue orbs shot lasers everywhere for its own multi-directional laser attack. Rebecca screamed, feeling her pod bobble up and down violently from the blast.

**Rebecca-2600 LP**

It was still Cora's battle phase. Deep-Eyes White Dragon formed a divine beam of concentrated energy from the halo over its back and blasted Cannon Soldier MK-2 dealing exactly 2600 points of damage. Shadow Ghoul screeched, feeling its body get carved by the lasers from the dragon's assault. It and Cannon Soldier blew up, ending the Duel.

"Oh, I can't believe I lost!" Rebecca said, slamming her head on the board.

Yumi jumped with joy, kicking her legs back. She felt as though she were walking on air for this victory. In fact, Cora gave Rebecca a severe beating. She ran to join Cora at the pod as it slid back towards its place.

"Wow!" she cheered. "I don't think she's going to reward us with that apology though."

"Who cares?" said Cora, gazing at the shiny foil of her Deep-Eyes White Dragon. "Let her go." She did not sound all too thrilled for her victory. She was still bothered by Rebecca's teasing and the scream she heard in the middle of the Duel.

"What happened back there?" Yumi asked. "I saw you struggling with something."

Cora remained silent as she gathered her cards. "I saw…."

"What?" Yumi asked.

"Nothing," said Cora, putting her deck back in the case strapped to her thigh.

"You okay?" Yumi asked. "Something's wrong isn't it?"

Cora remained still, looking at the field, still haunted by what felt like the ghost of her father. She did not wish to worry Yumi and turned with a smile on her face.

"Naw, everything's good!" she said. "That was a great Duel! Did you see the look on her face when my Deep-Eyes White Dragon came out?"

"Uh…sure?" said Yumi. "You sure you're okay, Cora?"

"Yeah, everything's just fine, don't worry. Now, how's about a shower and a change of clothes? I need to get out of these shorts, man! My butt is freezing!"

Yumi tilted her head to the side and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, it looks like you're back to normal. I was starting to worry about you, Cora."

"Hey, don't sweat it," Cora said slapping Yumi's backside playfully.

"You're making a habit of that, you know," Yumi remarked unpleasantly.

"I can't help it. Come on, let's find the others."


	26. Guardian of the Emerald Marches

**Cora**

* * *

The next morning, Professor Mako Tsunami boasted of stories battling sea monsters of the deep and fighting back an Orc navy in the Battle of Red Monday keeping back any more Orcs from sailing into Termnnia while another force was attacking Rassay where Yuri was hiding.

Cora yawned as Mako lost track of the rules for the final exam and went on about how he killed a kraken.

"Uh, professor," Brandy said, raising her hand. "I was there when you made that catch in the harbor. It wasn't a kraken. It was a baby dolphin."

"Was it?" Mako said, scratching his chin. "Hmm. Looked like a kraken to me. Tasted like one, too."

Cora did not care if it was a kraken or a baby dolphin. Her mind was stuck on the Duel with Kasumi the other day. She was so close!

And then Krissa came to mind. She smiled when she learned she got a job waiting tables at a nearby restaurant. Perhaps she would visit her later and grab a bite to eat with her friends. Then something else came to mind. She opened her notebook and saw a flyer detailing a new Team Tournament in the Heart Crown Arena. Hopefully winning those games would regain the trust of her father. She sighed. It really was stupid of her to act that way on the beach. She remembered the look of spite in her father's eyes. The intensity of his yelling. He lost a lot of respect for her after pulling that stunt as did Miss Goldwine.

"I'll make it up to you dad. I promise," she whispered, tucking the flyer under her notebook. She heard a flirty click behind her. Cora turned her head and saw the grinning face of a lad by the name of Ethan Morris.

"Hey," he whispered.

Cora looked at him and turned her head to focus back on Professor Mako standing proudly in front of a set of fossilized jaws that belonged to an ancient sea monster. Ethan gathered his things and sat next to her.

"I'm Ethan of the House of Morris. And you are?"

"Not interested," Cora answered, her teeth clamped onto her pencil with the Kaiba Corp logo on the top near the aluminum band that held the pink eraser.

"Sorry, you sort of stand out from the other girls I've seen around here. Your academy outfit is heavily customized and there are diamonds on your Blue-Eyes White Dragon's escutcheon. I have a thing for rich girls. See, I hail from a family with a lot of money too you know."

"So do half the other losers who flirted with me today, " Cora declared, quietly so as not to disrupt the teacher's lecture. "But I know you, Ethan Morris. You're that loser who lost us the Emerald Marches up north a few months back."

Ethan cringed. It hurt him to know that everyone in the school knew of his painful defeat at the hands of Prince Malcolm in the Duel for the Emerald Marches. "You've heard of that?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Well, I guess I did lose the Marches, but we're going to get them back. Master Yugi enlisted the help fo the Summoner of Dragons to go to battle against King Forrest. So no harm done, eh?"

"Doesn't change the fact you lost them," Cora said, flipping the page of her textbook.

"Hey, girl, take it easy. You know, I have powerful connections. My cousin is Michael Octavius Dalton. The Crown Prince of Termnnia. I'm relations on his father's side."

"Good for you," Cora said with a shrug.

"Could I at least get a name?" Ethan asked.

"Cora Kaiba."

"Kaiba you said? I didn't know Seto Kaiba had a daughter."

"You really are new around here," Cora answered copying down notes on the board on the biology of sea serpents.

"Yes. After my loss in the Emerald Marches, father thought it best I come down here to improve my skills before heading off to Duelist Academy. I'm heading for Obelisk Blue, you know."

"So are many who go here. This is a prep school to get into the Obelisk Blue dorm. Duh."

Ethan smirked and nodded his head, his notebook was blank, not a single world was copied down. His eyes were focused on Cora. Her brilliant blue eyes glowing in the turquoise light of the water outside the glass walls of Professor Mako's classroom made him excited. "You are so hot." He commented arrogantly.

"Thanks...I guess," Cora said with a roll of her eyes.

"Say, why don't you and I go out?"

"Excuse me?"

"Come on," Ethan said, nudging her playfully on her forearm. "Just one date."

Another roll of her eyes. Cora wanted to get on with the lesson.

Ethan chuckled. "Playing hard to get, huh? I like that in a girl. I'll play your games. Why don't we have a Duel later today? You win, I leave you alone. But I win, then we go on a date."

Cora smiled at his proposal and turned her gaze from Yuri and Yugi back to Ethan's grinning face. "Trust me, kid. You don't want to do that."

"Why?"

Class ended at last with Mako announcing a diving trip at the end of the semester.

"Well, Ethan of House Morris," Cora said, picking up her things. "It was nice meeting you. But I have to get going."

"Can I see you again?" Ethan asked.

"I doubt it," Cora said walking away. She met with Nixie by the fountain outside of Mako's tower in the underwater district of the school.

Nixie handed her a sandwich she promised to give her after lunch ended. "Hey, Cora, guess what I just heard."

"What's up?" Cora asked, unwrapping the sandwich from its plastic covering. She bit into it savagely.

"Kasumi and I found a couple of Duelists who are willing to help us in that team tournament. They're really good and are big fans of yours from what I understand. But they're only going to participate provided you're willing to pay."

Cora sighed. "I have funds but they're not much so these assholes better appreciate what I give them. Otherwise, it's a no."

"It's for a good cause," Nixie said with a sigh. "Didn't you hear what Madame Angelmen just did?"

"Mmm-mmm," Cora said, shaking her head, unable to answer from the food in her mouth.

"She just raised the tuition for this place two-fold."

"You've gotta be shitting me!"

"No. I'm afraid I'm not. And she cut a lot of scholarships and programs for students on the dumps. Me included."

"What!"

"Yeah, she terminated the school's partnership with the museum. Hopefully, that woman, Ishizu, can talk some sense into her before it's too late. If she doesn't, I'm going to join the many students who had to drop out with the rise in prices around here. Naturally, only the rich kids of the Dragon Gardens and the King's District are celebrating that one. I'm so pissed off."

"I'm giving that bitch a piece of my mind," Cora said storming away.

It was a long train ride to the top of the tower where the headmistress worked. She did not even bother knocking. Cora burst through the doors and coughed, as she walked into a cloud of tobacco. Madame Angelman was puffing on an Emboldorian cigar from behind her desk.

"Ms. Kaiba," she said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You can start by reinstating all those programs you canceled, you selfish witch!"

Madame Angelmen puffed on the cigar and blew a cloud of smoke, adding to the noxious fog in the office that once smelled of apple pie and flowers.

"Selfish?" she replied. "My dear girl. I saved this school a lot of money. Did you know that twit Rosamunde was spending over sixty-five million in gold in these petty scholarships? That's money we could use funding a new state-of-the-art arena. The aquarium in the main hall that I petitioned to have for so long, and so many others."

"You're busting the money we pour for your own selfish gains? How the hell did a greedy bitch like you get into this office anyway?!"

Madame Angelmen shifted her cigar to the other side of her mouth. "What did you call me?" She stood up. Cora felt herself shrinking. "You think because Seto Kaiba adopted you and have you three shiny dragons that you have power over me, Cora? You think that just because you're a Kaiba you can control what goes on here? Understand this, my dear. This school is my kingdom now whether you like it or not. And what I say goes. You will do well to remember to respect me and address me properly. Or you will suffer the consequences. Stand in front of my desk."

"Excuse me!"

"Stand in front of my desk, Miss Kaiba. Don't make me say it again, or I'll confiscate your cards."

Cora held her head high and marched towards Madame Angelman's desk.

"Assume the position!" Madame Angelman commanded, strolling to a locker in the back of her office. Meanwhile, Cora bent forward on the desk, sticking out her rump. She turned her head and saw Madame Angelmen walking towards her with a big, black, paddle.

* * *

Nixie tapped her foot on the ground and checked her watch. The train from the towers came rushing by and came to a stop. Dozens of staff members and a few students from the council came walking out of the train. Cora came out last, wincing in pain with each step she took.

"Girl, do I even want to know?"

"No," Cora replied through her teeth. She rubbed her sore bottom and grimaced. "I've been banned from Dueling in school for the next few days. Under penalty of a fine of five hundred Gold Crowns. Missing all that action is going to cost me my rank. My father is going to hear about this when he wakes up! And when he does, there's going to be hell to pay!"

Nixie patted her back. "Don't worry. You'll still be able to play in the tournament. After we deal with our foes, we'll get our revenge against the bitch."

Cora whined and stamped her feet on the ground. "Why would she do such a thing?"

"She's from the Rhodasian Estates. Their ways of thinking are very, very, medieval. Not surprised she would bring back corporal punishment again. Look, just relax. Our finals are done, there's a super cool tournament ahead, and we've got the whole of winter break to look forward to. I say this is a pretty opportune time to teach Krissa a thing or two about Dueling. Maybe she can earn a better paycheck as a Duelist."

"One can hope," Cora chuckled.

"How are things going between the two of you?"

"They're all right, I guess. She's still a little timid if you catch my meaning."

Nixie giggled. "Not so sure about love yet, huh? Give her time. You did rush into the relationship, you know."

"I know, I know. What do you expect? I'm not a patient person. Still, respect her enough to give her some space."

"That reminds me. Won't the temple help her out or something?"

"Well, that's the bitch of it, Nixie. I asked her the very same thing and she refused to answer. That girl is my honey-bunches-of-oats and I love her. But man, all this mystery around her is putting my panties in a bunch. She won't talk about it at all. How does she expect us to bloom and trust each other if she keeps secrets from me."

They traveled to the underwater district of their school. Brandy was waiting for them at the entrance to the Heart-Crown Arena. She was holding a paper that said she was accepted into Obelisk Blue.

Cora embraced her in a long, bear hug. "Congrats, Brandy! You did it!"

"Yeah...I did it!" Brandy cried out, trying to breathe.

"Cora," Ethan said, coming to join her and the group. "So, uh, are you going to consider that Duel I proposed earlier?"

"Now's not the time, Ethan," Cora replied.

"Come on, Cora. It's not like a Kaiba to back down from a challenge."

Cora smiled at him. "Well, you're right about that. Okay, if you want to Duel that badly, I guess I can set a few minutes aside for you. But don't expect to be making any dinner plans or whatnot."

"Whoa," said Nixie, "what are that stakes in this match?"

"A date," Cora replied.

"Ooo," Brandy hooted. "Someone's a little tenacious. Think you're up for the challenge?"

"For a chance with a girl like her," Ethan said, standing up straight. "Of course, I am. How about it, Cora? Duel?"

"Yeah. Come on."

* * *

The Heart Crown Arena was mostly empty due to the attacks from the Yeyu cultists, so they had no trouble finding a place to play. Cora started to hear people laughing at her for some reason. She shrugged it off. Perhaps they were thinking that a match against the boy who lost House Alteria the Emerald Marches was a waste of time.

**LP 8000**

"I'll go first," said Cora. "I use Trade-In, discarding my Blue-Eyes White Dragon for two cards. Next, I use Silver's Cry to bring back the Blue-Eyes I discarded."

A bright flash of white burst behind Cora. Then, her Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared above her, letting out a majestic roar.

**ATK/3000**

"No way!" cried Ethan. "She summoned a Blue-Eyes White Dragon already!"

"That's right. Now, I use Card of Consonance, discarding my White Stone of Ancients for another two cards. And that ends my turn. Oh, but now that that's happened, White Stone of Ancients' effect activates. Because it was sent to the Graveyard, I'm allowed to summon a Blue-Eyes. Come forth, Deep of Blue-Eyes."

"Another one!" Ethan gasped. "Damn, she's good!"

"And now, that this lovely monster was Special Summoned, I'm allowed to add a Ritual or Polymerization card to my hand. Try to guess which one. Also, she allows me to add a Level 8 Dragon to my hand. I bet you can't guess as to what it is."

"It won't matter," said Ethan. "I've devised the perfect plan to take you down, Cora. Remember to wear something nice on our date. I play Foolish Burial, sending a monster from my deck to the Graveyard. Next, I summon Junk Synchron, who will allow me to summon from the Grave, the Junk Converter I discard with Foolish Burial. Next, comes Dopplewarrior. Now, I'll tune Junk Warrior and Junk Converter to Synchro Summon, Junk Speeder!"

**ATK/1800 DEF/1000**

"A Yusei Fudo deck," swooned Brandy.

"Someone's a fan of his I see," Nixie teased.

"I worship the ground he walks on," Brandy said, trying to replace Ethan with an image of Yusei Fudo."

"I'm better than he is!" boasted Ethan. "And I'll prove it! Junk Speeder's effect activates and so does Junk Converter in the Graveyard."

"And what are they going to do?" Cora asked.

"This. Say hello to my junk brigade. Here's Satellite Synchron. Jet Synchron. Quickdraw Synchron. And finally Junk Synchron. Next, I will Tune Satellite Synchron and Junk Speeder for F.A Dawn Dragster. Now, Junk Synchron will Tune with Dawn Dragster. Emerge, Satellite Warrior!"

**ATK/2500 DEF/2000**

"Now, here's the fun part, Cora. I get to destroy a card on your field for each Synchro Monster in my Graveyard. And my Satellite Warrior's attack will increase by 1000."

"No," said Cora. "My dragons aren't going anywhere. I banish Return from the Dragon Lords to negate your effect."

"Aw, man. Now he doesn't get the bonus. No matter, your Deep of Blue-Eyes won't stay around for long. I'll take it down with my Satellite Warrior."

The two monsters took flight. They battled fiercely in the air, but eventually destroyed one another.

"That takes care of that!" boasted Ethan.

Cora yawned. "Yeah, but now you have another problem." There was a bright light above her, shining like a star. From it emerged Deep-Eyes White Dragon.

"Oh, boy," groaned Ethan. "Another one."

"Yeah. She's as nasty as they come. First off, her attack is equal to the attack points of the monster you just destroyed. So that's 2500 attack points. Next, she will inflict 600 points of damage to your Life Points for each dragon I have in the grave."

Deep-Eyes White Dragon expanded her wings and launched a multi-directional laser assault, dealing 1200 points of damage to Ethan's Life Points.

"I've underestimated you Cora. You completely wrecked my combos there. I will now Synch these two monsters I have left for Cryston Quandrix. Then I'll use Dopplewarrior's effect to summon these two tokens. One of which, I will use to Tune with my Cryston Quadrix for Accel Synchron. Who I will then tune with another of the tokens for the mighty Borreload Savage Dragon!"

**ATK/3000 DEF/2500**

"There! Now that should even the odds."

"If you say so," Cora said drawing. "I banish my White Stone of Ancients to add a Blue-Eyes to my hand. Then, I'll reveal to you the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand to Special Summon, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon! And when he's called to the field, I can automatically destroy one of your cards. Bye-bye, Borreload Savage Dragon!"

Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon launched a laser beam that blasted the cybernetic dragon to bits. Ethan grunted, holding up his arm over his face to shield it from the debris.

"Alternative White Dragon!" Ethan cried out. "Goddesses! How many of them are there?"

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked, Ethan. I summon White Stone of Ancients and then Tune it with my Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon. Come to me, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon in defense mode!"

"Oh no!" Ethan moaned, sliding his hand down his face. "I just had to ask, didn't I?"

Cora's Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Deep-Eyes White Dragon destroyed whatever was left on Ethan's field.

"I'm down but not out," he said.

"Well, I end my turn. And I get another goodie. With another White Stone of Ancients in the Graveyard, here comes another Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

"There's no end to them!" he cried. "I wasted so many cards just to take down one of them. No matter, I will win this Duel and I will win that date with Cora. Draw! I use Junk Converter's effect to…'

"That's fine," Cora interrupted. "Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon's effect activates. Now I get to summon Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon to take its place." Cora froze and stayed quiet as she watched the card Krissa gave her come to field and roar, showing off its splendor. It was beautiful. Just like she was.

"Are you done?" asked Ethan.

Cora blinked rapidly to dry the tears. "Yeah. Yeah, that's all."

"Okay," said Ethan. "I uh...well, I have a bad hand. Still, it will allow me to play this for a defense."

Ethan special summoned a dozen times to finally get a Saryuja Skull Dread on the field."

Cora just wanted the game to end. In no time at all, Cora summoned her Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon to the field. Then, she used a Dragon's Mirror Card to summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. She ordered her dragons to attack and walked away before the Life Point counter could even reach 0.

As she walked down the steps of the arena, a girl with glittery silver hair highlighted in bright blue slowly approached them. Her blazer was customized with an oversized hood that looked like a cartoonish fiend with glowing green eyes and mouth, making her stand out from the other students.

"Who…" Cora sniffed and rubbed the sweat off her face with her palms. "Who are you?"

Nixie gently pet Cora's back. "Cora, this is the girl I told you about. Jericho Archambeau. She wants to partner up with you in the games."

"You're very beautiful," said Cora, examining the glimmer in the girl's hair, her slightly pointed ears, her and gold, and silver eyes. "I've never seen your kind before. What are you?"

"I'm of the Veena," Jericho replied, clinging to the single strap of her black, box-like backpack. "We don't usually leave our homes in Frostborne, but with the ongoing war against Naralia, many of my kind have fled south for a better life. My parents included. They were the lords of Blizzentia, a once independent kingdom."

"Until Forrest conquered it," said Nixie.

"Yes," said Jericho. "Anyways, I wish to join your team. Should we have a Duel so show you my skills."

"I think that would be great, Jericho. Show me what you got."

"Hold on!" Ethan Morris was running towards them. "Hold on! I call dibs on Cora. Please, give me another chance. I can prove myself to you. I just got a bad draw."

"If you have a bad draw, you got a bad deck," said Jericho.

"Okay, but here's my real deck!" Ethan said, holding out another deck of cards from his blazer. "See? I told you!"

"I don't know," said Jericho. "You're Ethan Morris. That dumbass who decided to wager the Emerald Marches in a Duel."

"Why you…"

"Look at it this way," Amy said, cutting in. She overheard the conversation as she was approaching the group from the concession stand. "At least Ethan saved many lives that day. It would have been better to lose the Marches over a game of cards than with the lives of a thousand men. Don't you agree?"

Ethan, for once in many months, felt awfully proud. Amy did bring a good point that his little mishap saved Elleria's army from being wiped out by King Forrest's Holy Contingency.

"Well," he said. "What do you have to say about that. Besides, I've learned much since then. Princess Evelyn had me sent her personally for the next few weeks to improve my game, and improve it has. I'll prove it to you."

"All right," said Jericho. "I'll Duel you."

"Good. And if I win, Cora, you have to give me that rematch. Deal?"

Cora replied with a shrug. "Very well. Do what you got to do."

Jericho walked up the steps of the arena and took her place. Her silver and aquamarine ring formed into a sleek, skinny, Duel Disk with a filigree blade. Her Life Point counter was submerged in water inside of a blue crystal. Ethan embarrassingly activated his standard Duel Disk. But, hey, if he beat this girl and played a good game, then it proved flashiness doesn't make one a Duelist.

"I'll be a gentleman and let you go first," said Ethan, performing a cringeworthy bow.

"Whatever you say, boy-o," Jericho said, showing him the card she was going to play. "I use Allure of Darkness. I draw two cards and banish a Dark monster from my hand. And I'll activate a second one just to make things interesting for you, Mighty Duelist of the Emerald Marches."

Ethan narrowed his eyes. He was growing really tired of everyone making fun of him for that loss. Even though there was the good in saving the army from annihilation, it was still rather humiliating losing to King Forrest's spoiled brat-of-a-son.

Jericho smiled, the gloss on her lips perfectly reflecting the lights of the stadium above them. "Now, Ethan, let's see you Duel your way out of this one. First, Pot of Desires, banishing ten cards from my deck face-down to draw two cards. Next, I use the effect of D/D Swirl Slime to fusion summon D/D/D Flame King Ghengis!"

"What's that?" Ethan gasped.

**D/D/D Flame King Ghengis**

**ATK/2000 DEF/1500**

Cora placed her hands on her hips and shook with excitement. "Oh, so she runs a Different Dimension Daemon Deck. This is going to be interesting."

"I told you you were gonna love her," said Nixie.

"Next up," Jericho declared. "I summon D/D Savant Copernicus! Then send a D/D monster from my deck to the graveyard. Now, I'll offer both Ghengis and Savant Copernicus to Link Summon D/D/D Abyss King Gilgamesh!"

The arene seemed to turn cold once the monster armed with several golden weapons digitized on the field. He stood over Jericho and growled at Ethan, staring into his soul with disgust. He was clearly hoping for a worthy foe.

**D/D/D Abyss King Gilgamesh**

**ATK/1800**

**LINK- 2**

"And now for his special ability. When he's special summoned, I can add two D/D Pendulum Monsters in the Pendulum Zones. Here comes D/D Savant Kepler (Scale 10) and D/D/D Oblivion King Ragnarok (Scale 5)!"

She took 1000 points of damage with Oblivion King's effect. Then activated a Continuous Spell called Dark Contract with the Gate, adding a D/D monster to her hand. Then, she activated the Pendulum Scales, Special Summoning two Oblivion King Ragnaroks to the field, along with a D/D/D Supreme King Kaiser (2800 ATK). She chained the effects of one of her Oblivion Kings on the field with the one in her Pendulum Zone, Special Summoning a D/D Lamia from her Graveyard and D/D/D Flame King Ghengis at the cost of 1000 of her Life Points.

"I'm not through yet, Ethan. I will synch my D/D Lamia and D/D/D Flame King Ghengis to Synchro Summon, D/D/D Gust King Alexander! Then, Lamia returns to my field, for now. Now I synch her and D/D/D Supreme King Kaiser to become the mighty D/D/D Cursed King Seigfried!"

Ethan felt like surrendering when he saw the two, towering, kings, gleaming in white armor and wielding powerful, giant, swords that were taller than most of the buildings in the academy. He couldn't believe how fast she was able to summon them. And she made it look so easy.

"Gust King Alexander's effect activates. I return D/D Swirl Slime and Link him with Abyss King Gilgamesh to create another one! Now, from my Graveyard, I banish D/D Necro Slime and D/D/D Supreme King Kaiser to fusion summon D/D/D Flame High King Gilgamesh! Now I'll Overlay him with D/D/D Oblivion King Ragnarok to Xyz Summon, D/D/D Duo-Dawn King Kali Yuga!"

And with that, her swarming of the field was complete. Alexander stood with 2500 ATK, Siegfried with 2800 ATK, Dawn King Kali Yuga standing behind them all dominantly in his floating throne growled as his ATK point meter displayed 3500 ATK points. Oblivion King Ragnarok had a strong 2200 ATK and Gilgamesh with 1800.

"Your move, Ethan," Jericho boasted. "Go on."

Ethan didn't know what to do. He stood there, quivering in front of the D/D/D monsters Jericho summoned so easily and so quickly. He read their effects before when he got a Cursed King Siegfried in a pack, but he tossed it aside, thinking his effect and summoning conditions were too difficult.

"Hey, hold up," M whispered. "Look. He's got a Maxx C in his hand."

"Oh," Amy said. "That would have come in handy when Jericho was summoning all those monsters. Why didn't he activate it?"

"Hmm," M rubbed his chin. "Stagefright, I guess. He looks like he's got potential. But there's a lot of doubt inside of him. No doubt in my mind that it's because of that loss in the Emerald Marches. Can you imagine it? The devastation of losing to a brat like Prince Malcolm. Letting down your country and your princess, who he loves so much? Talk about spirit breaking."

"I activate the spell..." Ethan began.

"Cursed King Siegfried will negate its effect!" Jericho said. Her monster began radiating with light and it canceled out Ethan's Spell Card effortlessly.

"You won't beat me!" he shouted. "I set all my cards face-down. These are dangerous traps that will stop your monsters from doing me harm. I end my turn."

"Your traps will do no such thing. I will remove an Xyz Material from Dawn King Kali Yuga and destroy all Spell and Trap cards on the field. Then, I use Monster Reborn to bring back D/D/D Flame High King Ghengis. You are done."

All of her monsters lunged forward for a direct attack. "So what do you think?" Jericho asked as D/D/D Cursed King Siegfried slashed Ethan vertically across his body. "YEOW!" he shouted.

"Very impressive," Cora said with a slow clap. "That was some mighty fine Dueling, Jericho." KABOOM! Dawn King Kali Yuga blasted Ethan with a beam from the crystal on his forehead.

"This is not fun!" he cried as D/D/D Flame High King Ghengis came for him and slashed him multiple times with his blades, followed by Gust King Alexander, who smashed him with the edge of his thick blade.

"I think she'll be a really big help in the tournament," Nixie added. BOOM! Gilgamesh was next to assault Ethan. "YAAAH!" he screamed.

"Cora," Jericho said. "It would be a great pleasure if you let me join your group. I want to stick it to the Covenant really bad."

"OOOOOOOAAAHHH!" Ethan shouted when Ragnarok finally ended the onslaught.

Cora shook her hand. "You are aware that the games count for extra credit, right? I want you at your best."

"I am, and I have no fear. My skills keep me confident. I would have shown you more, but that Ethan guy proved no challenge."

"Cora!" Kasumi called from the entrance of the arena. She, too, had a young lady by her side, no doubt another Duelist to help them combat the Holy Duelists. She was tall and thin. It was easy to identify her to be of the Lionhearts, a race of fire-casting, golden-haired, diamond-eyed people living in the province of Leorealm. The crest of her House was pinned to her blazer, showing off a gold liger enveloped in the flames of battle.

_ **C'vienne Nax Venneth Donoxium** _

Those words were written in gold letters on a banner of black underneath the liger. They meant: Our Claws clear the way to victory!

M saw her from the table he sat as he had lunch, and rubbed his hands together when he saw her. "Man, this group just gets hotter and hotter. I love being with you girls."

"Careful M," Amy giggled. "You'll awaken the beast inside Nixie if you piss her off."

"Well, I can't help it if I feel happy being surrounded by all this loveliness," he said watching as Kasumi and the girl passed by. "My, my, my. Cora's team is looking lit! She's Madeline Marvel Rosmarie Lestonnac Naxon Leotyne of House Ligier."

Amy's face said it all. Her name was terribly long, as were most of the names the Lionheart people, who added the names of the rival Houses they defeated to theirs as a sign of dominance and power. He laughed at her expression. "Come on girl, you know the custom of her people right."

"Yeah," Amy said. "I studied in Leorealm before. The king and his family have sixteen names. Sixteen!"

"It means he's not someone to be messed with," said M, he stuck a fry into his mouth. "It's their way of showing their power to anyone foolish enough to challenge them. It's like he's saying: 'Hey, asshole, you see all these names I have in my title? You want yours to be added to it?' Madeline sure has many names to hers, so that means her family must be one of the warlords of the Leovenne Mountains."

Madeline stopped in front of Cora and performed curtsey to be polite. "Madame Kaiba," she said. Her voice was honey-sweet and soft as a whisper. There was a big, pink, bow with a large diamond on the center, pinned on the back of her hair, giving off an aura of innocence that made Cora's stomach melt. "I am Madeline of House Ligier. Miz Kasumi told me you 'ave a problem."

"We do," Cora answered. She sniffed the air. Madeline smelled of roses, freshly cut and standing in front of the window on a warm, spring day. "How well can you Duel?"

"I once challenged Miz Kasumi for ze title of rank one," she explained. "I have a 4.0-grade point average her in Rosenkruz to boot." She handed them a sheet with her marks. All A's across the board. "And back home in Leorealm, I waz ze winner of ze Red King's annual Spring Pageant. Young ladies from all across ze realm come to theez games to play and display both zere beauty and skill in Dool Monsters, all for ze honor of winning rare prize cards and ze title of Queen of Spring."

"How many times did you win this pageant, honey?" Nixie asked.

"The last pageant a few months ago marks my fifth victory zere," she replied with a wide grin.

"Wow," said Cora. "What kind of deck do you run?"

"I play wiz ze Noble Knights. And it iz thanks to zem that I have secured my place in ze Obelisk Blue Dorm at ze Academy's university level."

"Congratulations," said Cora. "So, can you display your skills in a Duel for us right now?"

"Oui."

"Hold it, hold everything!" Ethan said, wobbling back to the girls. "Hold on a second."

Cora crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Ethan, I'm not going to Duel you and I'm not going to go out with you. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to play against our friend here."

"Hold on, gimme another chance," he said. "I've got one last deck that will prove my worth to you. Uh...miss lovely lady, whoever you are. At the risk of getting my ass kicked again, I challenge you to a Duel. Cora, same stakes. I win, we Duel."

"He sure is persistent," Brandy said, trying her best not to laugh."

Cora let out a very loud and frustrated sigh mixed with a growl. "Fine!" she said. "Duel her. Win, we can have your rematch."

"You won't be disappointed!" Ethan boasted, running for his side of the arena.

Again, his standard academy Duel Disk was outshined by a custom one. Madeline's deck resembled a white and gold sword in front of a shield, which served as the dealer and holder for her deck.

"Man, I can't wait to get some of my own. Maybe you can afford one for me when we start dating, huh, Cora?"

"What?"

"Come on, your Dueling Honey has gotta look good too."

"You are such a loser!" snapped Amy. "Hurry up and start your turn."

"If you say so," he bragged. "I feel really bad for having to do this to one so pretty, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do! I summon Batteryman Solar!"

A ball of electricity formed beside him and it burst to reveal a solar panel with arms and legs and a battery-shaped head with glowing yellow eyes and a mouth.

"Now, that he's been summoned, I can discard a Thunder monster from my hand. So goodbye Thunder Dragondark! And from my hand, I activate Thunder Dragonmatrix! I discard it to boost Batteryman Solar's attack points to two-thousand. Are you following me, gorgeous?"

"Oui. Iz a very simple strategy. I have played with ze Thunder Dragon archetype before."

"Yeah, they've become somewhat meta as of late, haven't they? But trust me, you haven't seen anyone use them the way I have."

Kasumi rubbed her temples. "Well, you've got to admire his spirit."

"I activate, Allure of Darkness," Ethan continued. "I'll banish a dark monster and draw two cards. Now, I banish Thunder Dragonroar and special summon, Thunder Dragondark from the graveyard."

The wind howled and soon a black thundercloud formed over Ethan's field. Lightning flashed from the cloud, followed by a menacing roar. Thunder Dragondark slithered from the cloud and hovered over the field, snarling menacingly. Its spikes rose; a form of intimidation to put its foes on edge.

"Yes, and now my Batterman Solar summons a token to my field. Now, I'll tribute both the token and Thunder Dragondark to Link Summon, Some Summer Summoner."

From the clouds emerged a lazy diety of sorts wearing a tiger-striped speedo, a snorkel, and pink fins. He sported a puffy yellow hairstyle and sported sunglasses. He didn't do anything except yawn and lay there on the cloud.

**ATK/1600**

**LINK-2**

"Now, from the Graveyard, Thunder Dragondark's effect activates. Now I add Thunder Dragonhawk to my hand. Now I'll use Hawk's effect, discarding it to Special Summon Thunder Dragonroar from banishment. But he won't stay for long. For I now call upon Thunder Dragon Colossus!"

**ATK/2600 DEF/2400**

**LV 8**

"But the fun doesn't stop there! I use the spell, Thunder Dragon Fusion! I fuse a few Thunder Monsters in my deck and viola! Here comes the mighty, Thunder Dragon Titan!"

**ATK/3200 DEF/3200**

"Now my dorky Summer Summoner goes bye-bye to make way for another Thunder Dragon Colossus! Let's see you try and get through that! My Thunder Dragons are ready to trounce you!"

"Impressive," Madeline said, drawing her card. "Now I'll show you what I can do. I summon Noble Knight Brothers! And I equip them wiz Noble Arms Gallatin and Arfeudtyr, but I will banish zat spell to special summon, God Phoenix Gearfried!"

"God Phoenix?" Ethan gasped.

A phoenix flew down from the sky and formed a wall of flames around Madeline. The flames were a portal to a divine realm, opening to let loose one of the strongest warriors in Duel Monsters. Phoenix God Gearfried jumped out of the flames. His armor was exquisite in design, with colors ranging from white, red, black, and gold. He was decorated with a flaming plume and a massive cape of flames that spanned more than thirty feet.

**ATK/3000 DEF/2200**

"I am so screwed, aren't I?" Ethan groaned. It truly was a difficult situation for him. No matter how hard he tried to gain the favor in a Duel, someone somewhere always had to have something that ruined everything. This Phoenix God Gearfried was truly a spectacular monster. And like most monsters with grand designs such as he, there was going to be some spectacular, game-ending effects.

"First, I will attack your Batteryman Solar wiz my Noble Knight Brothers!" The three men in gold armor slashed the solar panel creature, losing Ethan 200 of his Life Points. "Next, God Phoenix Gearfried will attack your Thunder Dragon Titan!"

"You must be out of your mind!" yelled Ethan. "He's stronger than your monster."

"Why don't you wait for my move to finish before questioning my intelligence!" Madeline snapped at him. At ze start of ze damage step, God Phoenix Gearfried - in all his splendor - will snatch one of your monsters and equip itself to him, boosting hiz attack points to 3500. Now, he iz stronger zan your Thunder Dragon Titan!"

God Phoenix Gearfried sliced off all three of the Thunder Dragon Titan's head with one swipe of his long, bladed arm.

**Madeline 8000 LP**

**Ethan 7500 LP**

"You've got skills," Ethan said with a gulp. "But I'll figure a way out of this mess. I know I can. Draw! From my grave, Thunder Dragon Fusion's effect activates. I add Thunder Dragonhawk to my hand, and I will discard it to…"

"No! God Phoenix Gearfried will detach your Thunder Dragon and negate your monsters' effect. Nice try, Ethan."

"Oh, man!" Ethan mumbled as he bit his lip. "All right, fine. I discard Thunder Dragon from my hand and add two more Thunder Dragons to my hand. Then, I will fuse it with my Thunder Dragon Colossus to summon another Thunder Dragon Titan!" He waited for the dragon to make its entrance to finally start speaking. "He's back, and your God Gearfriend doesn't have anything equipped to him, so he's easy pickings. Attack!"

The dragon raised its three heads and zapped God Phoenix Gearfried to ashes. Madeline shrieked as she shielded herself from the blast.

"I end my turn," Ethan said confidently. He had every right to feel that way, seeing as how he easily destroyed the monster that sent fear up his spine earlier. He figured that perhaps there wasn't anything to be afraid of with those boss monsters after all.

"I shall begin," Madeline said, fixing her bow before drawing her card. "I summon Noble Knight Iyvanne in attack mode!"

She summoned a red-haired knight in green and black armor with a lion as a companion. "Next, I will equip him with Noble Arms - Caliburn!"

"I love the platinum rare of your cards, Madeline!" Cora commented from below. Even from where she stood, she could see the entire card had a metallic shimmer to them and the letters were glowing in iridescent foil.

"Oh, thank you," Madeline said, nodding at her compliment. She looked back at Ethan and smiled. "Now that I have equipped Iyvanne wiz a Noble Arms card, he summons a Noble Knight Token. And then I will use him and ze token to Link Summon, Isolde, Two Tales of Noble Knights! I will zen chain ze effects of my two lovely ladies and the Caliburn in my grave. First, Isolde lets me add a warrior to my hand. And Caliburn comes back to ze field. I shall give it to Isolde. And now for her next effect."

"You mean there's more?" Ethan said.

"Yes. Pay close attention or ask me politely to slow down if I am going too fast for you. I discard any number of Equip Spells to the graveyard and Special Summon a Noble Knight whose level iz equal to ze number of spells I discarded. I call upon Noble Knight Custennin! Now, Noble Knight Brothers allow me to return some cards to my deck." She picked up the cards she wanted and shuffled them into her deck. "Most lovely," she said. "Now, I will Overlay Brothers and Custennin to Xyz Summon, Sacred Noble Knight of King Custennin!"

**ATK/1500 DEF/2500**

**Rank 4**

"All that for a fifteen hundred attack point monster?" Ethan said with a sigh of relief. "I figured you were bluffing. God Phoenix Gearfried had to be the strongest card in your deck, and I destroyed him with ease."

"Oh, do you ever shut up?" Madeline retorted in annoyance. "Always so quick to underestimate your opponents. No wonder you always lose. Custennin will show you the error of your ways! From my grave, I equip the spell Noble Arms - Gallatin to my King Custennin! This will increase his attack by 1000. Now, I summon Noble Knight Pellinore!"

She summoned a dashing horseman wielding a divine blade. He galloped out of thin air and stopped beside Madeline. The horse reared up on its hind legs and whinnied.

**ATK/1900 DEF/500**

"Now it's time to end your dragon. By discarding an Xyz Material from Custennin, he can slay your horrible beast."

Ethan gasped. With a swipe of his holy blade, Sacred King Custennin returned Ethan's Titan back to the extra deck, leaving him wide open for a direct attack.

**Ethan - 1000 LP**

**Madeline - 8300 LP (Caliburn increases Life Points by 500 each turn)**

Ethan sighed. "I summon a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"Custennin will return your monster back to your hand," Madeline said. "Shall I continue?"

"No, you won. There's not much I can do."

M got up from his seat and went after him. "Hey! Yo! Ethan! Wait up, man!"

Madeline's Duel Disk dematerialized as she walked down the steps to rejoin Cora and the others.

"Sweet moves," said Jericho. "I hope you and I can have a match in the future. Your Noble Knights are very gallant, to say the least."

"Ah, yes. Miz Jericho. Yes, your D/D/D monsters are powerful and quick to swarm ze field in no time. My compliments. I also hope you and I can Duel soon."

"Hold on," Cora said, stepping behind Madeline. She fixed her bow, which grew uneven in the excitement of the Duel. "There you go."

"Oh, thank you, Miz Cora. So, have I proven myself."

"More than enough," Kasumi replied. "I think we have our team ready for the tournament."

Nixie slid her fingers under her cap and scratched her head. "I dunno. I feel like giving that Ethan kid a few pointers."

"Will he be joining us in fighting the tournament?" Madeline asked.

"No, thank goodness," Jericho said with a groan.

They heard laughing going on behind them. Cora turned and saw Clovis and his friends huddled around his phone. They looked up at Cora and howled and whistled.

"What's gotten into them?" Nixie asked.

"I don't know, but it's best not to get involved," Cora said. "Come on, girls. Let's get out of here before their stink makes me nauseous."

No one wanted to argue with that. They picked up their things and got ready to leave. Little did Cora know, this was going to be one of the most horrible moments of her life.

"Hey, Cora!" shouted one of Clovis's friends. "Or should we call you Cherry!"

That caused her to stop. She turned and snarled at the guy. "What the hell did you say?"

"That's right!" said a boy with blue hair. "We know what went on in there."

Clovis turned his phone around. What Cora saw shocked and angered her. Clovis was in there when Madama Angelmen was paddling her. And he filmed the whole ordeal.

"You pervert!" shouted Cora.

Clovis laughed and brandished his championship belt. "Hey, that's what you get for crossing paths with the new headmistress of Rosenkruz Academy," the young prince sneered. "I told you before, Cora. You should never have messed with me. And now I'm gonna humiliate you the way you did me. Oh, another customer." He typed away at his phone. "And that's another gold coin for me."

"Asshole! You're selling the vid?" shouted Nixie. "And here I thought princes were supposed to be honorable."

Cora felt her face growing hot. She wanted to disappear into nothingness. She heard laughter all around her. Some eyes were peering vexingly at her. Whispers and sniggering stood out like a thousand trumpets blaring at once. For the longest time, many thought of Cora as strong, powerful even. But even with the might and majesty of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons under her control, under the dominance she experienced under Madame Angelmen, she was as timid and frail as a little girl in that video. She hunched her shoulders in shame, her face flushing red. Even from where Nixie was standing, she could see the tears forming in Cora's beautiful blue-eyes.

"You're going too far with this, Clovis!" Brandy shouted. "Stop this right now!"

"That iz not very gentleman-like of you!" said Madeline.

Cora's lips started to tremble. She did all she could to keep from crying and giving Clovis and his friends more pleasure in tormenting her.

"Aww, is the baby gonna cwy!" teased one of Clovis's friends with spiked red hair. "Look at the Rank One Duelist now."

"Come on, Cora. Let's get out of here," Nixie said, turning her around. She flicked the middle finger at the group who just ooohed like it was nothing. They walked away.

Cora heard the sound of feet stamping behind her. But before she could turn, it was too late. The boy with the red hair came up from behind and lifted Cora's skirt. Cora screamed and jumped. Laughter erupted from the students when they saw the damage the headmistress had done to her.

"Cherry! Cherry!" Clovis and his friend chanted.

M suddenly came dashing down the halls, pushing and shoving through the crowd of students. He jumped from behind two girls and smashed his fist on the red-haired boy's face, breaking his nose on impact. He punched him again on the jaw. A flash of white shot out of his mouth as he twirled and fell to the ground, out cold. Tap, tap, tap, went his tooth as it bounced on the ground.

"YOU!" shouted M, pointing at Clovis.

"M! Stop it!" shouted Nixie.

M didn't listen. He charged for Clovis like a Mad Sword Beast and tackled him to the floor where he started punching him. Clovis's friends came in and started stomping on him to save their friend. Clovis stood up, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. "Hold him down! Hold him down!"

He joined in on the stomping and kicking.

"M!" shouted Nixie. She ran to his aid. "Stop! Leave him alone!" She tried to get them to stop, but Clovis pushed her. Nixie yelped as she fell hard on the floor.

Clovis's friends held M up by his arms. He tried to get free, but their grip was too strong. Clovis picked up his belt and slammed the heavy plate on M's face. He grunted and fell back as he was let go. Clovis's friends quickly got to work beating him again.

Suddenly, Ethan Morris came charging to the rescue. He tackled the boy with blue hair, and started punching him. But he was overwhelmed, too. Finally, Kasumi came in. And she was a different story entirely. One punch from her, and she knocked someone down. A big brute of a young man tried to fight her off, but she was so quick! She jumped and spun, before kicking him in the chest, knocking him back a few feet before he landed on his back with a thud. Kasumi then kicked Clovis in the family jewels and grabbed his phone. She crushed it with her bare hands.

"That's the power of Tenyi, bitch!" she shouted.


	27. Nixie and the Curse of the Beast

**Kasumi**

* * *

She darted through the halls of the Garden King Towers, which were, needless to say, a very expensive place to live. One hundred floors of luxury smackdab in the middle of the Dragon Garden's District. With gold decorating the walls and rivers flowing down the edge of the paths in the hallway, Kasumi guessed it would have cost her more than her father gave her an allowance. Chandeliers of crystal and gold sparkled from the ceiling in rows down the hallway and boring piano music played on the intercom. It did little to calm her. She finally found the penthouse where Nixie lived with the museum curator. She knocked on the door and rang the bell repeatedly, hoping to wake someone.

After a few tense minutes, she heard footsteps on the other side of the door, then a song of locks and bolts unfastening. The door opened.

"Can I help you, miss?" asked a very sleepy old man. It was Dr. Patford, the museum curator. His hair was ragged and messy, and his eyes were red with exhaustion.

"I'm a friend of Nixie's from school," Kasumi said. "Is she home? Please, this is really urgent."

"But it's so late. Don't you ladies have finals this week?"

"We do, but this is bigger than finals, sir."

"Who is it?" some called from behind.

Dr. Patford turned to look at the girl coming down the marble staircase, lit with two iron lamp posts on either side of it at the bottom.

"Oh, Nixie. Uh, there's a friend of yours from school who wants to see you. I'll leave you to your business, but don't stay up too late. You both need your rest for your exams."

"Don't worry, papa, I've got this," Nixie said. She yawned and rubbed her left eye. All she wore was a very long t-shirt that read:

_ **I Don't Need Sex. Nibiru the Primal Being Fucks Me Every Day** _

Kasumi couldn't help but laugh at what it said, for it spoke truth. Once Dr. Patford left, Nixie scratched the back of her leg and leaned against the doorway. "So, what's up? It's almost two in the morning."

"Have you heard at all from M?"

Nixie yawned again. "Nope. He usually passes out at ten. Why?"

"I got a text from him. He was asking for help with his homework. After that... he's just been unresponsive."

"Oh, no! That's not good at all. Come on in." Nixie opened the door, allowing Kasumi to step inside.

As soon as the young princess did, she almost screamed. Standing there in the foyer under a rotunda of stained glass was a complete skeleton of an Ultimate Tyranno standing on a black marble pedestal that doubled as a fountain and was lit with floor lamps and festooned with gardens of palm trees and thick ferns.

"It scared me," gasped Kasumi. "Oh, man. I'm sure glad it's dead."

"It's still just a juvenile," said Nixie, going to the kitchen. "A full-grown adult can grow up to fifty feet tall."

She went to the dinner table, buried under papers, binders, and a leaning tower of textbooks with pink, blue, and yellow sticky notes sticking out from the pages to mark the important notes she needed for the finals. There was a coffee mug half-filled with her beverage, now cold and sitting next to a plate of buttered crackers. She found her phone under her notecards and picked it up.

"Oh, no!" she gasped. "He sent me a dozen texts, too."

"You didn't hear it?"

"No," said Nixie. "I left my phone here. I didn't give a damn about it. It was late. I got sleepy and went upstairs to take a shower. But as soon as I sat down in bed, I passed out."

She looked through all the messages. So far it was nothing but 'text me later' and 'Can you answer the phone? I need to tell you something'. "What could be so important?" she asked.

"Well, that's not all I wanted to tell you," said Kasumi. "Madame Angelmen did it."

"Did what?"

"She completely scrapped the entire program from the museum."

Nixie's lips trembled and her eyes began to bubble with tears. "Oh no," she said.

"It's okay. Look, if you would like me to help you out in any way, you just let me know. Okay? My family are astute lovers of history and the natural world. You have a bright future that could open many doors, especially to the past."

"I can't let you do that," Nixie said, twirling a lock of her flaxen hair around her finger.

Kasumi noticed she got black highlights and commented on them. "You look nice," she said, holding up some of her hair. "Oh?" she noticed something on her neck. A tattoo. "What's that?"

"Oh, this? Yeah, just a secret sweet sixteen present. It's the skull of an Ultimate Tyranno with the motto of House Delgado ringing around it. My ancestors, on my mother's side, once served the House back in its prime. From the time before Prince Hector. I cannot believe how far they've fallen in terms of honor. Huh. Even their treasured card, Black Tyranno, got up and left them. Who knows where he is now."

"Secret, huh?" laughed Kasumi. "I take it Dr. Patford doesn't know about it yet."

"Nope," she was trying to message M again. But there was no answer from him. "So long as I'm under this roof, he'll never know." She leaned forward, cupping her hand over her mouth. "Just between us," she whispered. "The skull isn't the only tattoo I got."

"No?"

"Uh-huh. I don't wanna boast or anything, but I've got a fossilized Uraby skeleton tattoed over my pubic mound."

"Girl, you went all out that night, huh."

"Absinthe is one hell of a drink," Nixie chuckled. "I swear I saw a green Obelisk smashing the city that night and a dancing Slifer trashing downtown. The Winged Dragon of Ra was talking about how much Mondays were bullshit."

"I can't handle the stuff," Kasumi said, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms. "Pardon me for being nosy but..." She bit her lip and sniggered. "Can I see it?"

Nixie looked up at her from the phone. "What?" she asked with an awkward grin growing from the side of her mouth.

"The fossil tattoo down there. I didn't think anyone would be crazy enough to get marked in such a sensitive spot. Was it painful?"

"I dunno, I was drunk. But to answer your question, no. I am not going to show you my tattoo."

"Come on, just a quick peek."

Nixie lifted her shirt but that was it. She pointed at the fossilized tail coming out from behind the waistband of her underwear. "That's all you're gonna see, babe."

"I challenge you to a Duel tomorrow," Kasumi said with an arrogant look on her face. "If you lose, you've got to show me the whole thing."

"Fine, fine," said Nixie, lowering her shirt. "If you want to see it THAT bad, I guess I'll Duel you." She went to the fridge and took out two beers. "But I ain't no pushover like Cora." She offered one to Kasumi, who accepted. She ripped the cap off with her fingers and gave it to the princess.

"If it was going to be that easy, I would have never issued the challenge. Truth be told, Nixie, I could care less if I saw your tattoo or not. I just want to finally get a chance to see your skills for myself. Had it not been for Cora rushing through the ranks and my urge for her to get the Blue-Eyes, I would have set my eyes on challenging you for the title of number one Duelist at school."

"Well, I'll be more than happy to take you on, Kass." She checked her phone. "He's still not answering. Just what the hell is that guy up to?"

Kasumi tapped her lip. "I do recall him saying something about a surprise. Perhaps he's hiding until it's the right time to show you."

"Maybe," Nixie said, taking a sip of her beer. "I just hope he's okay."

* * *

**Mai**

* * *

"Have you seen Yumi, Miss Mai?" Cora asked. She sat with Mai and Miss Goldwine for a hot chocolate in the King's District early that morning to talk about the ordeal that went on at school.

"I haven't, hon," Mai answered before biting into a cookie. "Hmm, now that I think about it, she hasn't been herself lately. Must be something to do with those Banner Duelists that have been hunting you gals."

"No, it has to do more than that," Cora said.

"Like?" Ms. Goldwine asked.

"Nothing," Cora said at once. "If you see her, can you tell her to come to my place as soon as possible. She's really important to me, and I don't want her out there all alone. DESMAGI are running around like crazy and, yes, those Banner Duelists are hunting us." She looked down at her lap and twiddled her thumbs. "And it's all my fault."

"No, it's not," Mai scored her. "You didn't ask to be chased around by freaks who are hellbent on taking your soul away. For what reason, I don't know. But you can't sit there and blame yourself for what's going on. You're in a tough situation, so you and your friends need to find a way to get out of it. And you can. I know you can. Those girls in your group, they're no pushovers or pretty faces. They can handle themselves. And those new girls you added to the team look like they got game as well."

Cora took a long gulp of warm milk. "Of course they do, otherwise, I wouldn't have allowed them to join us. Of course, two of my friends, M and Brandy, I still need to see what they've got. They wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Of course they do, dear," Ms. Goldwine said, leaning forward and wiping Cora's upper lip of milk. She sat back down on her chair. "They are your friends. They love you. Ah, speaking of school, what on earth gave you the bright idea to just skip it today. You know your lessons are important."

"I had to, Ms. Goldwine! You don't know what those creeps did to me. And that bitch — "

"—Language!" Ms. Goldwine interrupted.

"Ahem. Madame Angelmen took over and treated the place like it's her own personal kingdom. She's cutting down scholarships, downsizing staff, and taking money for her new arena. I don't know why the hell Rosenkruz needs a new arena, we have like ten already."

"Arenas are a good way to attract those with money," said Mai. "The fancier the battlefield, the more people with connections will come. And those connections are advertisers, backers, investors, you name it. She could be rolling in Star Chips with an arena of her own."

"It's still messed up! I went to her office and confronted her about it and she paddled me."

Mai giggled behind her hand. Ms. Goldwine looked at her sternly. "What?"

"So she had you punished for breaking her rules?" Ms. Goldwine asked.

"Yeah, and to make matters worse, Prince Clovis was in the office as it was happening. He filmed the whole thing and sold it to the other students all over school. Everyone was laughing at me."

"It happens," said Mai. "Every now and then, you'll find yourself under the rule of someone you don't like. A boss, a headmaster" — she rolled her hand towards Cora — "A father even. Do you want to know what happened to me when I was in school, hon? Oof, my tales are legendary. When I was a girl, my grandmother sent me to an all-girls Dueling Academy in the Wyvernback Mountains. One day on my way to class, I was walking down a path towards the Dueling Grounds. Some boys from another academy in the valley came up to challenge us in a friendly competition. Cora, you're not gonna believe this. As I made it towards the grounds, I missed a twig sticking out of nearby hedge that caught my skirt and ripped it right off my waist. All eyes were on me, and I was the talk of the school for weeks."

"Oof, really?" Cora said, trying to contain her laughter.

"Yeah, some say that's what began the War of the Summer Flowers." She winked.

"Pish posh," said Ms. Goldwine. "That's nothing. Listen here, Cora. Before the war, my parents had me sent to a convent dedicated to Dwenya, Goddess of Law and Justice; for I was going to be a lawyer after I graduated. One day I fell asleep in a class run by a very short-tempered Halfling. There's something you need to understand. Punishments in that institution were severe and public. Cora, my darling, not only was I caned in front of the whole class, but I also had to strip down to nothing."

"Oh my goodness," laughed Cora.

"Oh, yes. Every time I walked down the halls, people pointed and stared as they laughed at me. I found crude drawings taped to my locker and I was bullied by the other girls for weeks."

"You two had it worse than me."

"We sure did," Mai said over Ms. Goldwine's laughter. "Much, much worse. However, as embarrassing as it was, I had to keep on pushing forward and continue my work to be the best Duelist I could be. Ms. Goldwine, I'm sure, also had to keep going after what she went through."

"Indeed. Now many of the ingrates who made fun of me serve me coffee and answer to me. Being Seto Kaiba's head secretary makes me a queen to some degree."

"That's right," Mai said with a nod. "The point is you must learn that people get embarrassed all the time. It's a part of life. You can't just give up on your studies because some crazy bitch —"

Ms. Goldwine held up her finger. "Language —"

" — Some crazy BITCH decided to have a personal beef with you. You'll kill your dreams running and hiding from your problems. Honey, I know it's tough and you're feeling embarrassed, but you have to go back to school."

Cora squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "No! What's the point anyway? My father can't pay for my classes anymore. He's sick."

Mai patted Cora's hand. "I'll pay for your classes. I can afford to do so for you and Yumi. It's no problem."

"No, Miss Mai, I can't! Not with her around. That crazy lady and her nephew ruined my life."

Mai shook her head. "You know the Chief of Madame Angelmen's House is the head of Departments and Techniques and the head professor of the Obelisk Blue Dorm, right?"

"What?"

"Dr. Vellian Crowler," said Mai. "And he's a lot worse than Madame Angelmen. Believe me. He'll flunk you just for sneezing in class or for wearing your uniform the wrong way. Oh, look at that face. I believe she doesn't want to continue anymore. Barbra, perhaps you should tear up her enrollment papers for Duelist Academy. I don't think she's ready for it yet."

"I can do so right now," Ms. Goldwine started fishing through her purse for her tablet.

"No, no, no! I understand. I just wish I could be as strong as you two. I feel like I'm two people sometimes if that makes sense. On the Dueling Field, I'm a Kaiba. Strong, powerful, and brave. Outside of it, I'm just Cora."

Ms. Goldwine patted Cora's hand. "Cora, my sweet, you'll be a great Kaiba one day. Your father started to see it, too. Not only does he respect you, but he loves you. He told me himself."

"I don't deserve his love. I've made so many mistakes," Cora sighed, blinking to fight back the tears forming in her blue eyes.

"Of course you did," Mai said sympathetically. "It's okay. You're still so young and there's still much you have to learn. Mistakes are always going to happen. I make mistakes. Even Yugi Muto makes mistakes. Big, big, mistakes. Your father as well. I've seen him screw up countless times over the years. Don't think because your last name is Kaiba that it excuses you from making mistakes. Use your mistakes to get better. Learn from them."

"She's right," Ms. Goldwine agreed, handing Cora a handkerchief. "There, there, dry those tears. Your father would not want to see you in such a state. He would be furious. And being sad will only give Madame Angelmen a sense of power over you. Do not let her have that. She doesn't deserve it." Her watch beeped. "Ah, Mai, I believe the movie is about to start."

"You two going out tonight?" Cora asked.

"Yeah," Mai said, eating the last of her cookies. "Then we're going to take care of a few things and head home. Don't none of you stay up too late. It's dangerous out there."

"What about Yumi?"

Mai looked at her phone. "I'll give her a call and tell her to head to your place as soon as possible. If she doesn't, can I trouble you to go out looking for her? There's going to be another DESMAGI rally tonight and I don't want my baby out in the streets when that happens."

"I'll keep an eye out for her," said Cora.

Mai got up and kissed Cora's forehead before she left with Ms. Goldwine.

* * *

**Rosenkruz Academy**

Though she was hesitant on going back, Cora heeded Mai and Barbara's advice and went back to school. Ever since she was harassed by Clovis and his friends, Cora walked the halls accompanied by Jericho, who deemed herself Cora Kaiba's official bodyguard. With her constantly by her side, no one dared cross paths with Cora. Jericho not only made a name for herself in Duel Monsters but in the mixed martial arts world as well. She trained in boxing and dabbled in the art of Tenyi, much to Kasumi's surprise. And after what M did to the red-haired boy in Clovis's group, no one thought to challenge him either. Cora was now a very well guarded young lady. And for good reason these days. Now with her father sick from the mysterious Rosencruz Syndrome, she was being approached by young men looking to take her hand in marriage.

Cora was a great prize. The daughter of Seto Kaiba, a girl of divine beauty, an elite Duelist with control of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and heir to a great fortune, thanks to the will Kaiba left behind in case he did not wake from his coma. She found her desk littered with candies, flowers, rings, balloons, and booster boxes. Those she took without care, but the rest of the items were thrown away, save for the candies. Jericho helped herself to those.

"How is he?" Jericho asked. She was snacking on a box of chocolates an admirer left on Cora's desk.

"His condition hasn't improved," Cora answered. "Please, I don't want to talk about it anymore."

They sat together with Madeline and Amy in the underwater arena watching Duelists play round after round of Duel Monsters. Kasumi and Nixie were having a game by the waterfall. Berserker of Tenyi jumped up and punched Nixie's Two-Headed Kaiser Rex in the face, knocking out his teeth and dealing great damage to her Life Points. But Cora paid no mind to their match. Instead, she watched a girl down below having a Duel with a rather pompous member from Prince Clovis's group. It was Andrew (Duel Links) the smart alec who Nixie faced back in Costa del Sol.

The girl who caught Cora's gaze was a very timid-looking girl with long blonde hair flowing down to her back in cute curls and highlighted with pink accents. She had a huge baby blue bow on the back of her head and carried a teddy bear over her right arm as though she was a little girl. Her uniform was heavily customized, especially the skirt, which was short, exposing her ruffled undergarments.

"Aww, she's so cute," Cora said at last. "Let's see what's she's got."

Jericho scoffed. "Her name is Candy. Stay away from her, she's nothing but a pathetic little crybaby. She whines in class, she hates Dueling, I've never seen someone so frail. It makes me sick to my stomach. I've got to say, this is the first time I've seen her Duel before. Honestly, I'm not expecting much."

Cora sniggered. "This is the part when she surprises you."

Jericho rolled her eyes. "You know, I highly doubt that. Didn't you face a girl with a teddy bear the other day?"

"Rebecca Hawkins," Cora groaned, conking the back of her head against her seat. "Man, she was annoying. But not her. I like her. Candy. What a sweet name for such a sweet girl. Aww, she looks like one of those lolitas or something. She's just so adorable. Oh, I just wanna eat her up."

Madeline clicked her tongue. "Cora, don't be like that now. Krissa won't like it."

Amy agreed. "I don't think Cora will stop until every beautiful girl in this school is wrapped around her finger."

Meanwhile, down below, Andrew scanned his opponent as though he were some sort of robot. "Hmph," he said. "I'll take you down and become a legendary Duelist myself."

Candy just hugged her teddy bear and whimpered like a frightened puppy. The sight disgusted Andrew. He shook his head in disbelief, wondering how someone who was nineteen could act like such a baby. His friends behind him laughed at her, too, thinking she was going to be an easy win for Andrew. Then again, Andrew was one of the school's honor students. He already made a name for himself as an elite player. Why he chose to take one someone like Candy, Cora did not know. Perhaps he wanted to act like a tough guy, Goddesses know many players enjoy bullying newer ones with their shiny cards and big monsters.

"Legendary Duelist?" Cora scoffed. "Is this guy for real?"

"That he is," said Jericho. "He thinks he has what it takes to beat Yugi Muto, Seto Kaiba, Joey Wheeler, you name it. I overheard him bragging that once he goes to Duelist Academy, he's taking Yuri down first to cement his legacy as the best Duelist in the school."

Amy slapped her forehead. "Right, and I suppose players like Zane Truesdale, Akiza Izinski, Aster Phoenix, Kite Tenjo, and Alexis Rhodes are just going to let him do that? Geeze, these guys are just the absolute worst. It should be against the law to have your ego so big."

"If that were real, my dad would have gotten a hundred life sentences," Cora joked. "I hope he'll be okay."

"Have faith," said Jericho. "Seto Kaiba is a man of many talents. It wouldn't surprise me if beating a disease was one of them."

The Duel finally began. Candy put on an eyepiece that she removed from a slot on her Duel Disk, which was a Generation 6 Duel Disk. It was colored white and had a pink and green holographic blade. Instead of physical cards, she used holographic ones from Kaiba's Crystal Cloud Network.

"I'll start first," Candy said to herself. She placed her ear next to her teddy's mouth. "If you say so."

Jericho sighed. "What?"

Cora scratched her chin. "Uh, awkward."

"Okay," Candy said. She drew. Every time she drew a card a nice little effect in the Duel Disk activated. When she picked up a card from her deck, little hearts would pop out. Fancy decorations like that were now becoming all the rage.

"I summon Berry Magician girl in attack mode!" Candy called out. She summoned a little pink pixie with a green pacifier in her mouth. It hovered over the ground with thin little wings. She allowed Candy to add a Magician Girl card to her hand. The sight of her little monster caused many to laugh and aww. Berry Magician Girl's attack points displayed a meager 400 ATK and 400 DEF.

To the surprise of no one, Andrew was not impressed.

"Is that the best you got?" he said. "It's my turn. I draw! I summon Gene-Warped Warwolf in attack mode!"

The Duel Disk hummed and projected a bipedal mutant resembling a white wolf with four arms and an armored brown surcoat around its waist. He stood nine-feet-tall and growled ferociously as he flexed his arms. Andrew's friends cheered behind him while Clovis looked on from the railing on the second floor, still polishing his championship belt.

"I want to take that from him," Cora snarled.

Andrew resumed his turn. "Next, I play Ancient Rules, which allows me to Special Summon a high-level Normal monster without tribute. Behold, Metaphys Armed Dragon!"

Candy clutched her teddy bear tightly, watchings a translucent bipedal dragon armored in steel, spikes, and sawblades loomed over the field. At 2800 ATK, it was the strongest monster on the field. Wasting no time, he attacked Berry Magician Girl first with his Metaphys Armed Dragon for no reason other than to dominate her. Just as the dragon was about to slash the little monster to shreds, Candy put her ear next to the teddy bear's mouth.

"I activate my Berry Magician Girl's effect. When she's attacked, I can switch her to defense mode and summoned a Magician Girl from my deck. I call upon Lemon Magician Girl!"

Another fairy-like spellcaster appeared out of a puff of pink smoke with glitter and stars showering Candy and making her laugh. Lemon Magician Girl wore a yellow outfit trimmed with red and flew in the air with decorative white wings. Another scoff from Andrew. Clearly he thought that Lemon Magician Girl was going to be her only means of reinforcements. Metaphys Armed Dragon continued his attack and slashed the poor Berry Magician Girl to pieces. She squeaked pitifully and shattered to pieces.

"Oh no!" cried Candy.

"They said you were some kind of prodigy," said Andrew. "A so-called student of Yugi Muto. It seems to me like he's either wasting his time or those rumors surrounding you was nothing more than lies to make you look good. Your monsters have thus far been nothing short of pathetic. If that Lemon Magician Girl is all you can muster, then you've wasted my time. I should have listened to the data when I did my research on you. Seriously, only one win and you're in the prestigious Rosenkruz Academy? Such a waste! A tragic waste! I'll show you what happens when scrubs like you think they can play in the big leagues. Gene-Warped Warwolf! Attack her Lemon Magician Girl now!"

The wolf howled and sprinted towards the magician. She merely winked at him and a heart seemed to bounce out of her cheek.

Candy suddenly felt confident with herself. "When you attack my Lemon Magician Girl, she allows me to Special Summon a Magician Girl from my hand. Here comes Dark Magician Girl!"

No doubt there was a great cheer erupting from the arena when the most beautiful card in the game of Duel Monsters appeared from a pink arcane circle. She spun elegantly and came to a stop in front of Lemon Magician Girl.

Candy hugged her teddy bear even tighter and said: "That's not all! Your Warwolf's attack gets shifted to the Dark Magician Girl and your monster's attack gets cut in half!"

Andrew clenched his teeth. He sure walked into that one. Dark Magician Girl wrinkled her nose and jumped into the air with a mighty bound. She pointed her rod at the Gene-Warped Warwolf and zapped it. The wolf howled then exploded. Andrew's Life Points fell to 3000.

"That was within acceptable parameters," he said calmly.

"The fuck did he just say?" Cora asked. "Somebody go down there and check to see if he's human or something."

"My turn! I draw!" Candy said. The little hearts appeared all around her, ringing sweetly then popping. "Now, I summon Chocolate Magician Girl!"

She summoned a tall magician in a dark blue uniform accented with pink trim. She spun around and blue and red stars shimmered out of nowhere. She blew a kiss and winked before standing in one final pose next to Candy.

"I'll use her effect," Candy called out. "I discard a spellcaster and add draw a card. Next, I set a card face down. I end my turn." She put the teddy's mouth near her ear again. "Oh, sorry. I'll do better I promise!"

Cora raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "She's cute, but man is she fucking weird."

Andrew's turn. He drew and examined his options. "I activate Graceful Charity and draw three cards and discard two. Next, I play Monster Reborn to bring back the mighty Zoa to the field."

"Lots of Normal beat sticks," Jericho said with a shake of her head. "This guy talks a big game, but he's just a noob."

"I'll say," Amy agreed. "I stopped Dueling like that when I was in the grade-school years of Duelist Academy. I have a feeling Candy's got more tricks up her sleeves."

And she did. She discarded Kiwi Magician Girl from her hand, which added 300 attack points for every Magician Girl on the field and in the Graveyard. Dark Magician Girl had enough power to fight back against the Zoa Andrew sicked on her. She blasted the fiend with her staff and dealt great damage to Andrew's Life Points.

"Is there a mistake in my formula!?" he shouted. "Metaphys Armed Dragon! Attack the Lemon Magician Girl!"

Hopefully, he thought, all she had left in her hand were just weak little magician girls. But he was wrong. From her hand, she special summoned Apprentice Illusion Magician. The armed dragon's attack was reduced to 1400, and he was destroyed by the Apprentice Magician's counter-attack. Now it was her turn. She activated Card of Sanctity and drew until she had six cards. And then, she Overlayed her Dark Magician Girl and Apprentice Illusion Magician to Xyz Summon Magi Magi Magician Gal. Then, she tributed her Lemon Magician Girl to summon Silent Magician, who gained 500 attack points for each card in Candy's hand, increasing her attack to 3500.

BOOM!

Andrew's Life Points were reduced to 0.

"But...how can my calculations be off?"

The audience in the arena clapped their hands, each one awfully surprised to see Candy's little magicians take down a horde of powerful monsters and deal with them so easily. That was the thing about Duel Monsters. Never trust appearances. Candy jumped down the arena and hurried to the locker room to freshen up. Cora was about to go follow her until she saw Nixie and Kasumi came running back up the stairs. Both of them had worried looks on their faces. Nixie approached Cora and asked if she had seen M at all today.

"I was about to ask you where he was," said Jericho. "What happened? Is something wrong?"

"I'm beginning to suspect something is wrong," said Nixie. "Nobody has seen him all day. He tried contacting me and Kass the other night, but when we responded, it's been nothing but silence. You don't think it was the Banner Duelists, do you?"

"After what me and Yumi did to them last time, I doubt it," Cora replied arrogantly.

"You think warding them off with one win is going to be that easy?" Jericho asked. "Come on, Cora, these guys have some kind of an agenda in mind. They went through a lot of trouble to get you to Duel them. Look what they did to Mai and Kasumi."

Kasumi winced when she remembered what had happened that night. She let her guard down just once on her way home and found herself being held, hostage. She promised herself that would never happen again.

Nixie placed both hands over her mouth. "Fuck! I got so many messages from him last night. How could I have been so oblivious?"

Kasumi placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault. You had to do your things. Nobody is blaming you for this. Well, the last thing I heard from M is that he's at the Dragon Garden's District. If we're lucky, he's still there. Come on, let's go."

"I can't," Nixie said, stopping Kasumi in her tracks.

"Why not?"

"Come on, Nixie," Cora said. "You can't be getting cold feet now."

"It's not that. If you haven't noticed, it's almost dark. Dr. Patford won't let me go anywhere after what happened last time. Not after I got this." She turned and lifted her shirt to remind Kasumi of the brand on her buttock. "I don't blame him at all for worrying about me, Kass. He's my papa. And I don't want to disobey him."

"But what about M?"

Nixie shook her head. "I wouldn't be of any help anyway. With this brand, I'm cursed to never use magic again. If I did go, I'd only hold you back."

"Nixie…"

"Please, girls. I'd only be the death of you out there."

"You have to come!" Kasumi pleaded. "As Princess of Gō-Aki I command you to come with us."

Nixie grinned and tapped her finger against her bottom lip. "Well, when you put it that way. How can I say no?"

"So it's off to the Dragon Garden's District," said Jericho. "All right, let's go."

* * *

**Candy**

* * *

"Well, they're leaving in a hurry," she whispered, watching them leave from one of the arena's exits. "I hope I got their attention."

_To the locker room! Now!_

Candy winced, clutching her teddy bear tightly and walked into the locker room. When she was all alone, her teddy bear came to life. He jumped out of her arms and stood on the wooden bench between the lockers. He placed both paws on his hips and tapped his foot on the ground.

Candy went down on her knees and clasped her hands together. "Please, don't be angry."

"Shut up!" the teddy bear shouted. "Goddesses, girl, you are just truly pathetic. That's twice that you've asked me for help in that Duel. Come on, that guy was a pushover. You could have taken him without me."

"I can't," Candy whimpered. "There were just so many people out there. And Cora Kaiba and her friends were in the stands, too. They're like superstars or something. I was nervous."

"I was nervous," the teddy bear mocked her. "You were trained by Yugi Muto, child! How the hell did you let his lessons fly over your head like that? Did you learn anything?"

"No, I..."

"You've got nothing in the empty head of yours. You brainless dolt. You stupid girl! Say it! Go on, say it."

"I'm not stupid," Candy sobbed. "Don't call me stupid, please, Gael."

"That's Mr. Gael to you, ya dumbass! Now say it!" He pulled her hair, yanking her towards his face. "Say it!"

"I'm a stupid girl! I'm a stupid girl!"

"But we can fix that," the bear said, letting her go. "We are going to make you part of that group."

"But why? If Cora doesn't want to be my friend, then I won't force her."

"You need her! She is a Kaiba. Just hanging around someone with that name can make you very famous. You have to be part of her group. She looked impressed, but your childish behavior seemed to turn her off."

"I get stage fright."

"Well, do something about it! Your folks paid you a lot of money to get into this school and this is how you're going to repay them?"

"But I don't want to be a Duelist. I want to make toys and sell flowers in my own shop. Please, Mr. Gael, can we move on from this? Please?"

"You're not going to get far in this city making dolls and bears. If you want to wind up in the streets, that's your problem. But expect me no more."

"I don't want to lose you, Mr. Gael."

"Then you're going to have to trust me. We made it this far, didn't we? You have to face your fears and start acting like a big girl, Candy. Yugi worked really hard to train you."

"My lessons with him didn't last long."

"Because you ran away from home during the second week of your training. What Yugi saw in you, I will never know. Heart of the Cards, my ass."

"I want to believe in my potential as a Duelist, but it's not a profession I want to follow. I want to be a toymaker and a florist. But if that's a dream that will never come true, then I suppose I'll have to follow." She stroked the bear's face. "I also don't want you to leave me. You're my best friend in the whole world."

"Then you have to trust me and stop your whimpering. You're not a baby. Cora will never grow to like you if you keep acting like this. You have the tools to make it to the pro leagues. And Cora needs one more member for her team. I want you to be that member, Candy. So come on. Will you be a big girl and try harder?"

Candy nodded. "Yes. I promise."

There was a pause. It felt like an eternity before Gael sighed and said: "Take a shower. Clean yourself up and get your ass back home so we can finish your project."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

**Nixie**

* * *

Once Cora and her friends made it to the Dragon Gardens District, they split up. Kasumi followed Cora to the main plaza. Wasting no time, they sprinted down the dark streets of Domino. Nixie's pink flannel scarf flapped behind her. Her coat whipped around in the wind. They proceeded to the fountain where M sent his last text. String lights hung over them attached from building to building. Winter Wonderland was playing on the intercom. Though a very jolly setting, both girls felt horribly uneasy. It was late, and there was not a soul around.

"Kasumi! Look!" Nixie cried out. There was a card on the edge of the fountain, it's holographic foil glimmered in the merry glow of the large Christmas tree in the center of the fountain. It was Michael, the Arch-Lightsworn, M's Ace Monster. There was no way he would ever let that card just sit out in the open. Especially since it was his greatest treasure. Nixie gave it to M when they were very little kids. It was a symbol of their friendship. "M, would never part with this," Nixie said, holding the card close to her heart. "Something bad happened."

"Damn right something bad happened!" shouted the scratchy, obnoxious, voice of a very, very, young player. He jumped out from behind bushes for dramatic effect. He was short, probably standing up to Kasumi's thighs if they stood side by side. He wore a yellow sweater over green overalls. A green cap was nestled on his curly brown hair. His nose was round and his skin was tan.

Nixie blinked in confusion. "What the hell? We have to fight Luigi?"

"Hey!" snapped the kid. "My name's Tomba! And I'm one of the sacred Banner Duelists! So show me some respect!"

"Whatever, junior," Nixie said, shaking her head. "You need to get lost and head home. It's past your bedtime."

"Sure, whatever you say," teased Tomba. "I guess I did my deed and took a soul this night."

Nixie's sassiness faded at once."What?"

"Oh, no," Kasumi whispered, feeling fear chilling her body far more than the weather did.

Tomba laughed at their reactions."Yeah, that's right. I took him down without a sweat. Hopefully, you girls will prove more of a match against me than he was."

"You little bastard! Where is he!" Nixie shouted.

"He's in the Belly of Yeyu, where he'll suffer for all eternity!" sneered another young boy, coming out from behind the Christmas tree. He wore a baseball uniform from the team he played, The Domino City High Kings. His little face was washed with freckles and he had raggy, blonde hair. "Nixie," the boy said, turning his baseball hat backward. "Long time no see."

Nixie backed away. "No...Mickey! What the hell are you doing? You fight for the Covenant?"

"Nixie. You know this boy?" Kasumi asked.

"I played with him at the digs when he was just a teeny, little kid. His dad was one of my father's best diggers."

"And my dad is dead, thanks to him!" Mickey shouted. "My father told yours that digging in the Tellvari Badlands was not safe. But he just wouldn't listen. He just had to find that Daedalus skeleton no matter what. And now look where it got him."

"I'm sorry for what happened," said Nixie. "I truly am."

"Oh, shut it!" shouted Mickey. "After my dad was killed in that landslide, my mom took her life because she was so overcome with grief. I was left with nothing, Nixie. While you were taken by that pompous Dr. Patford and lived the good life. Meanwhile, I was sent into that slimy orphanage in Satellite."

"It's not my fault you got sent to Satellite!" shouted Nixie. "You shouldn't have resorted to being a thief! You should have stayed in school."

"You think it was easy for me to focus on school after I lost my family. Because of your father, my life was forever ruined. Thanks to the Covenant, I was able to escape that orphanage and become a Banner Duelist. We are defenders of justice! We fight for peace! All in the name of Mighty Yeyu!"

"You're a fool if you think the Covenant is going to help you in anything, boy," said Kasumi. "They will only bring you more pain and suffering."

"Shut it, Princess!" shouted Tomba. "Don't think you can fool us by calling Yeyu the bad guy. Our lives have been bettered because of his will. We're more powerful than you lame Duel Monsters players. We can call monsters from their realms and fight for us in real combat."

"Hold on," said Nixie. "I thought Yeyu hated monsters and magic."

Mickey scoffed, shaking his head. "He does. But we don't summon monsters with magic. We call upon them with the mighty will of Yeyu. He pulls those demons from their realms and forces them to fight for us. Such is his power, which you are about to see for yourselves!" He pulled out the Banner of Yeyu card and activated it.

"Mickey, don't!" shouted Nixie.

Too late. The Banner hissed underneath his sneakers. An eerie hymn echoed from the sky as it spun underneath him and expanded.

"Yeah! Now it's time to fight!" cheered Tomba as the Banner of Yeyu stretched until it encircled them all.

"I guess there's only one thing left to do," sighed Nixie.

"Yeah. We have to beat these kids. You know what happens to a player who loses in this kind of Duel, right?"

"Yeah, Cora told me. They get sent to hell or something. Well, if Mickey and Luigi over there think they can take us down easily, they've got another thing coming."

"I'm going first!" Tomba shouted impatiently. "Stand my monster! I summon Transcode Talker!" He looked up at his cybernetic warrior and grinned, feeling proud that he could summon such a thing. "This is going to be awesome. I'll take you down just like I took down that loser M."

Mickey laughed when he saw Tomba's Transcode Talker. "Nice monster, Tomba. Now it's my go!" He drew his first card. He held up two monsters. "Fusion summon!" he shouted. "Yeyu, combine the energies of my two weaker servants and form an even more powerful beast! Go, Roaring Ocean Snake!"

The Banner of Yeyu rippled underneath his feat as if it were made of water. From the surface, emerged his monster. Roaring Ocean Snake was true to its word, letting out a loud and dominant roar, causing Nixie and Kasumi to cover their ears.

"Just surrender now and save yourself the embarrassment," sneered Tomba. "You two have no chance against the might of Yeyu!"

"I beg to differ," said Kasumi. "I summon, Tenyi Spirit Vishuda. Now, I tribute my beast to Link Summon, Monk of the Tenyi! Next, I Special Summon Tenyi Spirit Mapura, tribute it and summon a second Monk of Tenyi. Your move, Nixie."

"Here we go," Nixie said. "I summon...acck!" She felt as if someone lit her body on fire. "No!" she croaked. "No!"

"What's wrong, Nixie!"

Tomba started laughing and slapping his knees. "Hey, Mickey, you heard what those DESMAGI guys did to your friend right?"

Mickey nodded. "I sure did. She deserved it."

Again, Tomba let out a horrible, obnoxious laugh. Ironically, his name meant 'Annoying Monkey' in the tongues of the Island Kingdoms. His parents must really have hated him to give him such a name. He rolled on the ground laughing and then sat up. "Yeah, branded her right in the butt like the cow that she is."

"It's not funny!" shouted Kasumi. "Nixie, come on. Fight it! Don't let Yeyu hold you back."

"I can't fight back," Nixie groaned. "The curse...it's too strong."

"It's not a curse," said Mickey. "You've been purified. It's a gift. Accept it and become one with Yeyu."

"You little shit," growled Nixie. "You'll pay for this."

After many minutes of dodging attacks, Kasumi felt her monks were ready to be tributed for her ace. It was a long and difficult process with all the chaos around her, but with a cool mind, Kasumi was able to survive the onslaught of their monsters. She Link Summoned Berserker of the Tenyi.

"Yes!" cheered Nixie, who still had yet to summon a monster. "You did it!"

"No matter," Tomba sniggered. "We can still take her out. After all, her poor excuse of a partner can't even summon anything cuz of that mark on her butt."

"You don't have to keep bringing that up!" Nixie snarled. Her mouth was foaming and her face was turning beet red. Kasumi thought she was seeing something, but she could have sworn something odd happened to her pupils.

"Aww, did I strike a nerve," Tomba teased. "The little cow thinks she can fight."

"Leave her alone!" shouted Kasumi. "Berserker of Tenyi, take him out!"

Her monster sprinted towards Transcode Talker. Suddenly, Roaring Ocean snake flew out of the banner and intercepted the attack. Tenyi punched Roaring Ocean Snake's head off with one destructive punch. Mickey felt weakened by the attack, but it meant he was ready to summon again. He felt he had enough Mana in his pool to summon just the right monster to take it out.

"I summon, Spiked Seadra!" he shouted. "And the mighty Kairyu-Shin!"

The Banner beneath his feet rippled and two massive sea serpents came out and grabbed Berkser of Tenyi by the arms. He tried to fight them off, but Kairyu-Shin and Spiked Seadra pulled and pulled until they tore him in half.

"NO!" cried Kasumi.

Tomba and Mickey laughed. They fell to the ground on their knees and clutching their stomachs.

"There's nothing you can do to stop us!" shouted Mickey. "Nixie! You're weak! Just like your dad was! That's why he needed my father's genius to make the discoveries he made. He took all the risks while yours sat around and played around."

"My father was a hard-working man!" yelled Nixie. She was sweating profusely despite the cold. "He was a leader. Your dad and mine were friends. I don't know what kind of crap the Church of Yeyu poisoned your mind with, but it's just not true You were my friend. We wanted to look after you. You didn't want to be looked after. All you did was lie, cheat, and steal."

"Whatever, Nixie! It doesn't matter what you say. Our battle is almost over. Kasumi is weak and you are just pathetic. Thanks to the cleansing you received from mighty Yeyu, you can never summon any monster."

"Branded like a cow!" laughed Tomba. "Boy, I sure wish I was there to see it. They say you screamed like a little bitch when they took your clothes off and branded you. You cried just like the big baby that you are. Just like M did when the Banner of Yeyu took his soul. Pathetic."

Nixie could take it no more. She startled snarling. She was going primal. Kasumi backed away from her. She could feel something was going horribly wrong with Nixie.

"Don't worry, cow!" Tomba teased again. "You're gonna join him soon."

Nixie let out an ear-piercing scream. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She shut them, still screaming with all her might. Her body was radiating a fiery aura.

"What the hell is this?" Tomba said backing away. "What is she doing? You said she can't use magic! She was cleansed."

"I don't know either, dude!" Mickey babbled. "What...Nixie! Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Nixie responded with another scream. Her hands ignited into purple flames. She stood up, growling like a rabid beast. Her eyes opened. The cute brown eyes she had were replaced with savage reptilian orbs with a black slit. Drool oozed down the side of her mouth and she sniffed the air as though she were a predator on the hunt.

"What's happening?" Kasumi said, backing away until she bumped against the barrier the Banner created to keep them locked in.

Nixie let out a thunderous roar that sounded like a Black Tyranno. It was like she was not human anymore. She smashed her hands on the ground. The Banner started flickering. The ground cracked. Bright purple light glowed from the cracks in the earth. Two dominant shouts echoed from the cracks. Then, with a loud smash, the prehistoric beasts emerged from the ground.

Three of them.

Two Ultimate Conductor Tyrannos and a Super Conductor Tyranno standing behind them.

"We're screwed dude!" shouted Tomba.

Mickey would not tolerate this. He was close to beating Nixie. "No, we're not! Go my monsters! Attack! Drown them."

A foolish move. They were underwater and the three dinosaurs Nixie summoned were users of thunder magic. The two Ultimate Conductor Tyrannos launched a barrage of lightning bolts that zapped the two monsters. The attack then flew towards Mickey. It struck him. He screamed in agony. His body flashed so brightly he skeleton could be seen through the flashes.

"MICKEY!" shouted Tomba. Super Conductor Tyranno then attacked Transcode Talker, smashing him with his tail. Tomba looked at Nixie, babbling in fear. "She...she's a monster!"

"Indeed she is," Ralsh said coming out of the darkness. "That's enough for tonight. We've seen what we wanted to see. You two dorks need a little more training before you can use the Banner of Yeyu."

He used his fist to smash the Banner of Yeyu, breaking the barrier and ending the Duel. "Let's go home, guys. Tomba, help Mickey back on his feet. That savage over there fried him up good."

Tomba did as he was told. Nixie was snarling and gnashing as though she were some sort of animal.

Ralsh sniggered at the sight of her. "Another one, huh?" He snapped his fingers, opening a portal. "I guess I owe you something for this victory. It's not every day someone surprises me." He snapped his fingers. There was a flash behind the bushes, and then, he, Tomba, and Mickey vanished into the portal.

They were all gone. But Nixie was still snarling like an animal. Kasumi did not dare approach her. She had gone completely savage. The bushes rustled and to Kasumi's surprise….it was M. He was back. He was shivering in fear, for he had spent the past half hour in hell. But he was okay.

"Nixie?" he whimpered.

"M?" Kasumi cried. "I don't know what's wrong with her."

"It's her Dino DNA," M shouted, running towards her. "It must have triggered. What happened?"

"We were in a Banner Duel and she couldn't summon anything because of the mark. But when she thought about losing you, she just went completely animalistic. She summoned three powerful monsters, M! Three!"

"She can cast magic?" M said in delight. "I just knew they would come through for her."

"What?"

M wasted no time. He grabbed Nixie by the shoulders, pleading with her to calm down. She writhed around like a madwoman and foamed at the mouth. "Nixie!" M pleaded with her. "Nixie come on. It's me. It's M! I'm okay! Come on, girl, snap out of it. Wake up! Wake up!"

Nixie hissed and snapped at him with her teeth.

M struggled to keep her still. "Nixie, don't lose yourself to the dinosaur's spirit. You're in control. Remember? It's your body. Not his. You are in control. Wake up! Come on, don't leave me."

Nixie roared in his face. She curved her fingers into talons and jabbed them into M's shoulders. He winced in pain but fought through it for her sake. "Nixie, don't do this. Come on! Wake up! Nixie...Nixie I love you."

Nixie snarled and thrashed her head from side to side. Her eyes were glowing purple. He was losing her. M knew it would probably mean getting his face chewed on, but he risked it. He leaned forward and kissed her. At once, Nixie's body seemed to steady and grow calm. Then, a miracle happened. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back.

"Nixie?" Kasumi whispered.

Nixie and M's lips parted. Nixie opened her eyes. When she saw M, her lips trembled and she started crying.

"It's okay," M said, rubbing her back. "It's gonna be okay. I'm here now."

"I let it take over me," she sobbed. "I lost myself. Why did you do that? I could have killed you."

M chuckled. "I like it rough. But not that rough, girl."

"You asshole," Nixie said, trying to laugh. "Don't ever leave me again."

M kissed her forehead and hugged her. "I won't if you won't. I love you."

"I love you, too," Nixie sobbed.

"Did we miss something?" Cora said, entering the plaza with the others.

"Looks like we kicked their asses again, huh?" said Cora.

"Damn right," M said, standing up. "Those holy bastards ain't got a chance with us around." Nixie stood up from the ground as well. M put his arm over her shoulder.

"So are you two a thing now?" Kasumi asked.

M and Nixie looked at each other smiling. "Well," M said, nuzzling her nose with his. "I guess I can get used to her."

"Aww, how cute," Cora jeered. "But M. You lost the last Duel, huh? You need to step up your game."

Nixie laughed. "Yeah, she's right. You do, babe. You lost to a couple of kids, babe? What's up with that?"

"Uh...I wasn't ready," M said, awkwardly.

"Damn right," Nixie teased.

M smacked her derriere to shut her up. "Girl, that's enough."

Again, a round of warm laughter erupted in the night.


	28. Contract with Exodia: Part 1

Out of nowhere, hoodlums wearing silver jester masks hopped out of the shadows and surrounded Mai and Ms. Goldwine as they walked home from the movies.

"This is not good," Ms. Goldwine said, hand reaching into her pocket to clutch her deck.

She and Mai went back to back and prepared for the worst. And it happened. One of them activated the Banner of Yeyu, trapping them inside for a long battle.

"This is definitely not good!" Mai said. "If what the girls tell me is true, we just summon monsters till we die."

"Pretty much, so I hope your willpower is strong."

"Hon, you think I'm nothing but a pretty face? I can handle myself."

There were five Duelists and they held out their cards, summoning their creatures at one. In a mere matter of seconds, Mai and Barbra found themselves surrounded by a Mirage Knight, Evilswarm Heliotrope, Exarion Universe, Blade Knight, and a Lightning Punisher.

"I like the odds," Barbra said, tying her hair back into a tight bun.

"Yeah, same here," Mai said. "I call...HARPIE LADY!" Rose petals swirled from behind her. Her ace monster screeched as she flew into the air and raised her wings, flashing her claws to intimidate her foes. At once Blade Knight and Evilswarm Heliotrope jumped up to take her on.

"No, it's not going to be that easy!" Mai bragged. "Let's see how this works. I give Harpie Lady Cyber Shield and Rose Whip, which should boost her strength!" She almost laughed when the armor materialized over Harpy Lady's body and the whip appeared in her hand. She snapped it hitting both monsters and knocking them back.

Mirage Knight and Exarion Universe then went for Ms. Goldwine. "No fair," she said. "I have yet to summon a monster. Looks like I have to teach you degenerates some manners. Dragonmaid Parla, come out, sweetheart."

A white glyph formed in front of Ms. Goldwine. Out came the green-haired maid, giggling in her anticipation to do battle. "Hmm, this still does not bode well for me. Well, if Mai's spells work for her, then perhaps my effects shall work for me. Since you are doing battle with her, Parla should be able to change into her dragon form. Go on, dear! Show them what you've got!"

Parla changed into her dragonic form, Luft, a mighty green dragon. She was capable enough to take on both monsters.

"Smart move," Mai said. "Whoa!" She dodged an attack from Blade Knight. Harpie Lady came to the rescue, striking him with the whip so hard, his armor cracked. "Your maids can transform into powerful monsters on their own. You won't have to use so much Ener-D."

"Oh, indeed. I think these young ones need an attitude adjustment."

"I agree. I'm still feeling fresh and my Harpie Lady needs some backup. Come on out, Harpie Queen!" The monster was summoned. Mai felt a little drained, but she was so energized by seeing the lovely monster, she hardly even noticed. She knew she had to be careful and not get carried away by summoning so many monsters at once. It could cost her dearly.

Harpie Queen and Harpie Lady screeched and dove towards Mirage Knight. He blocked their attacks with his scythe and stepped back until he was against the wall. Then, Blade Knight and Exarion Universe charged from behind. The Harpies were quick to sense this and turned into blurs in the blink of an eye. The two monsters struck Mirage Knight and ended him. The one who summoned him fell to his knees and vanished.

"Ha!" laughed Mai. "One down, four to go."

"Poor sod," said Ms. Goldwine. "A nightmare world awaits him."

"He knew what he signed up for," said Mai. "He's getting what he deserves. Don't give them any sympathy because you're not getting any from them. WATCH OUT!"

Evilswarm Heliotrope snuck in during the chaos was ready to stab Ms. Goldwine. But Dragonmaid Luft appeared and bathed him in flames, incinerating him to dust. The summoner felt weakened but had enough Ener-D to summon one last monster. D-Human. A weak monster, but he was not about to go down without a fight. Luft swatted him with her tail and ended him and his summoner. Well...so much for that fight. Soon, the Duelists were taken care of. Mai and Ms. Goldwine were alone, gasping for breath and taking a moment to relax.

"I don't know about you, Barb, but I haven't had this much fun in years."

"Indeed, if this is the best Yeyu has to offer, our girls are going to wallop them easily."

Suddenly, five more players jumped into the Banner and summoned their monsters.

"What?" Mai cried out. "What is this!"

"Hold on, we won!"

"Not yet you haven't, Granny!" said a Banner Duelist. "You need to beat us next."

"We didn't even get a moment to rest!" yelled Mai.

"Tough luck!" said another Banner Duelist. "Get your cards out and fight!"

And so they did. Mai and Ms. Goldwine, though exhausted, were strong in spirit. Mai summoned one last Harpie Lady and used Elegant Egotist to conjure the Harpie Lady Sisters. Ms. Goldwine, who was done fooling around, conjured Dragonmaid Huskee, and used a spell called Dragonmaid Changeover to transform her into her Dragon Form, Strahl. The black and white dragon spread its red membranous wings and roared. It towered over the battlefield and was stronger than the other Duelists expected with 3500 attack points. They were amazed that Ms. Goldwine summoned such a thing with very little Ener-D. Mai's Harpies provided security against the other monsters while Strahl vanquished the others. The Duel was won. Mai and Ms. Goldwine collapsed. Their clothes were ripped, leaving them terribly exposed and they had blood oozing from their noses from summoning so much.

Just when they thought it was over, they heard a slow clap coming from the darkness of a nearby alley.

"Not bad," said a tall, muscular, man. "Not bad at all. You took on ten players and still managed to win. But now it's my turn."

"You...can't," Mai coughed. "This...this just isn't fair."

"Fair? What's not fair is you, Duelists, running around polluting the world with this sinful game of magic, pride, and greed. The Banner of Yeyu is the key to ending you fools once and for all."

"Using Duel Monsters to end Duel Monsters," Mai said, spitting blood out of her mouth. "Sure, that makes as much sense as Kaiba ripping up cards so they can't be used against him."

"Duel Monsters? No. They're just monsters. And with the might of Yeyu, we can use them. Make them slaves. And if they fail to do as we command, Yeyu ends them. The dawn of a bright and prosperous era will begin soon. Now, Duel!"

He summoned five monsters at once. What they were sent a chill up Mai's frame. "Those...those…"

"Yeah, they're five pieces of Exodia the Forbidden One. You know what happens when they're all assembled, right? You better finish them off before it's too late."

"Barbra, he's right!" Mai said. She turned to look at Barbra who was on the ground as still as a rock. The multiple duels proved too much for her. She sighed one last time and succumbed to the Banner fo Yeyu. "NO!" she cried. "Barbra!"

She summoned Harpie's Pet Dragon with the last bit of strength she had. The anger in her heart gave her the boost she needed to summon the beast. Harpie's Pet Dragon fired a beam of red energy at the Exodia cards, the heat was so intense it caused them to melt.

But the Banner Duelist grinned. "You've fallen right into my trap, Miss Mai," he said mocking the way Cora addressed her. From the flames, Mai saw the face of what appeared to be a much darker version of Exodia. Its eyes were glowing blood red and that horrible grin would haunt her for the rest of her life. Not that she had one to look forward to.

"Yes, even the powerful Exodia can be tamed by the might of Yeyu. And I will prove that I am his true master when I beat Yugi Muto's daughter and taking her cards."

"No," Mai moaned. "Leave her alone...please."

The Exodia from hell unleashed a powerful attack that incinerated Harpie's Pet Dragon with one blast. When the dust settled, all that remained were burning cinders and a black, charred crater were Lady Mai Valentine was stood.

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

"Ho! Ho! Ho!" said the comedic voice over for Zorc Necrophades on the show Zorc and Pals. "Meeeery Christmas! Now I shall destroy the world!"

"Just what the hell is going on in this cartoon?" Cora asked while watching the show with Mokuba, whom she brought to the apartment to hang out and be away from all the sorrow going on in Kaiba Tower.

She was glad she did, for Mokuba seemed to get along well with her friends. And, unfortunately for her, Nixie was a big Zorc and Pals fan, running to her home and coming back with her entire DVD collections, which they have binge-watched since early this morning. Nixie and Mokuba were both howling with laughter but she didn't even giggle throughout the whole thing.

"What's there not to get?" Mokuba asked, trying to control his laughter.

"Well, for one, what's so funny about the greatest evil since Odiva the Perfect Goddess?" Cora said. "You know that thing almost DID destroy the world, right?"

Nixie tossed a piece of popcorn into her mouth. She was clad in a white crop top and denim overalls covered in paint from earlier when she and Cora had to redo a room on the second floor. "Yeah, but that's history," she said. "Now that he's been destroyed, we can make fun of it. Come on, Cora, lighten up."

"Seto is about to die, my girlfriend is missing, and I'm being hunted by maniacs looking to take my soul. How do you expect me to lighten up?"

"I know what you're going through," said Mokuba. "In fact, I've been through worse than you. Much worse. I've seen Yugi and Kaiba team up to battle these hooded maniacs called Rare Hunters in the Battle City Tournament years ago. The things those guys did to get their God Cards were just plain criminal and cruel. And then, we had to face a sadistic Duelist named Marik Ishtar who enjoyed torturing his opponents with this weird magic. I've seen the lives of my friends get taken left and right. Hands down, the Battle City Finals was one of the worst experiences of my life. But Seto taught me you've got to keep on moving forward with your head held high. If your enemies see you down in the dumps, they'll take advantage of you more and more, so don't give them that chance."

"I guess you're right," Cora said, followed by a heavy sigh.

M suddenly burst through the door with Kasumi and her fiance, Jack. They all had bags of food in hand. "Yo!" he called out. "Come on, time for lunch!"

"All right!" Mokuba cheered, throwing the pillow at Nixie and running towards the table.

"Hey! No fair!" Nixie cried out and chased after him. She grabbed him by the arms, tickled him, and picked him up.

"Cora," Jack said, joining her on the couch. He set his keys down on the coffee table. "Do not be so glum. You leave tonight for Red Diamond City, yes? I know you and your friends are going to find her."

He placed his hand on top of hers. Cora shuddered and yanked it back. He had been growing very touchy with her after that Duel with Kasumi, and needless to say, she didn't like it one bit. The way he looked at her and rubbed her back and shoulders since then. And it didn't help that everyone in Domino probably knew what her ass looked like after that video of her being paddled by Madame Angelmen went viral, thanks to Clovis. He saw it, too, and wouldn't stop talking about it.

"How are you holding up?" he asked softly. "Is...everything okay back there?" He chuckled.

"I've become a laughing stock," said Cora. "So I'm not doing so well."

"Need me to have a look?" he asked with a sinister smile, to which Cora glared at him furiously. "I was only joking," he laughed, waving his hands around. "Truth be told, neither am I. Kasumi and me, well...we're thinking about calling off the marriage."

Cora looked at Kasumi. Though she kept that lovely smile that caused Cora to have feelings for her when they first met. Her smile looked rather forced and her eyes seemed bloated from weeping. Nevertheless, she was laughing and joking with her friends as best she could. She was a very strong girl.

She then looked back at Clovis and said: "Sorry to hear that. But why?"

"It's not working out, you see. Lots of complications have taken place. I love her dearly, but I fear this marriage was just not meant to be. She sees it, too."

"I see. Is that why you've decided to show yourself and hang with us now? When you two were affianced, your ass has always been at your concerts or private parties. And at school, you ditched Kass to be with your buddies in the Crystal Arena upstairs. Just what in the hell has you so interested in us now?"

"Well, for one, I felt terrible for what Clovis did to you. I had my lawyers pay him a visit for you. They're going to sue him for everything he's got for the humiliation he put you through. It's not something you should be experiencing, especially now that your father is dying."

Cora smiled. "Well, that was awfully sweet of you."

"If you need me, just ask. I can help you and your friends out. It's the least I can do for being so distant from you all these months. You're right. I should have been more close to you" — He brushed some hair over her ear with his fingertips, causing Cora to shiver — "The lovely daughter of Seto Kaiba. I was a fool to stay away from you for so long."

He looked back at the girls, all of them devouring the food they bought and toasting for success against the Banner Duelists in Red Diamond City for the final showdown. "Your friends are a lovely bunch as well. So much beauty in this group. And power. So far, you and your friends have decimated those Banner Players, eh?"

"Yes," Cora replied, scooting away from Jack. "I...uh...I'm going to get some food." She got up from the couch and marched to the table to join her friends.

Kasumi, Amy, Brandy, M, Nixie, Jericho, and Madeline. And now Jack, she supposed. The doors burst open and Krissa came through with bags full of food from the restaurant she worked. The gang was all here. Oh. But where was Yumi? She wondered.

* * *

Yumi was having a meager meal of tea and a few biscuits in the middle of the Dragon Gardens Park. She was surrounded by fences festooned with a thick layer of ivy and trees whose branches touched the ground and curtained the concrete paths with their emerald leaves. She sat under a candy red umbrella, shielding her from the rain. Night had fallen not too long ago, and the only light source Yumi had was the street lamp next to the eatery. It was a very dim light, though, illuminating a radius of above twelve feet before darkness swallowed the landscape. She searched the web on her small pink laptop for hours looking for any bit of news of her mother, Yvonne the Raven.

She blew on her tea and took a sip. It was bitter, so she shook two more pink packets of sugar until it was super sweet. Her black coat kept her warm, as did the scarf Mai gave her earlier that day. It was white fading into pink along the edges and topped with white and pink tassels. Though she wore a white skirt, she had black leggings underneath, which Amy had enchanted with magic the day they first met.

She heard some heavy rustling in the bushes. Then, two, big, blue eyes peered at her from the leaves. Yumi froze, wondering what she was going to do. The eyes whistled at her twice.

"Huh?" she said.

They whistled two more times and seemed to bounce away.

"What in the hell was that?" she said to herself.

"There you are!" Cora said, walking out of the darkness with Madeline and Nixie. "This is her, Maddie. Yumi Muto."

"She's going to be joining us in the fight against the Banner Duelists," Nixie added. "I've seen her Duel, and lemme tell you, she's fantastic."

"It iz such a pleasure to meet you," Madeline said with a bow. "I have 'eard so much about you, Miz Yumi."

"Just Yumi," the daughter of Yugi Muto said, tilting her head downward and flashing a friendly smile. She placed her hands between her legs as she waited for her friends to sit down.

"What are you doing here alone?" Nixie giggled, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "Don't you know the legend about what comes out in the Dragon Garden's Park at night?"

"The thought never occurred to me."

Nixie leaned forward and lowered her voice. "Some say that there is a horde of troublesome gnomes living in a complex network of tunnels underneath the park. They target young women who are foolish enough to come here at night alone. If girls get too close to their turf, the gnomes knock them out with a magic spell and then steal their panties to keep as trophies."

"Oh, dear!" Madeline cried out, lowering the hem of her skirt down and crossing her legs. "Iz it true? Zey aren't real are zey?"

She had every reason to be fearful. Gnomes were real creatures in Termnnia, and ever since the Covenant invaded Naralia, they have stormed down into the city in droves, causing all sorts of mischief from putting traffic cones in odd places in the street, killing dogs, and swiping people's left shoes. Who's to say they wouldn't resort to such a thing as Nixie said?

When Cora saw Madeline's expression, she laughed out loud and started pounding the table. "Well, look at you getting all defensive."

"Sorry, but these are Secret Garden brand clothes. Do you have any idea how much zey cost?"

Cora rolled her eyes. "Man, Madeline, relax. Uncle Mokuba told me that story. It's just some stupid urban legend he and a group of elementary school kids told years and years ago to keep girls from coming into their secret clubhouse here."

"Why did zey 'ave secret clubhouses here?" asked Madeline.

"Some Capsule Monsters group or something. I dunno. The point is, don't listen to Nixie. There isn't a secret society of gnomes looking to steal your knickers." She looked at Yumi. "Well, what about you? Aren't you cold?" She rubbed her gloved hands together.

Yumi shook her head and picked up her teacup. "Nope" — she took a long sip — "These enchanted leggings Amy made for me work like a charm."

"Ah, I'm wearing those right now," Nixie said, lifting her flannel skirt to show them her black leggings. "Amy enchanted them, too. They're so warm and snug."

"Oh, I should ask her if she could make me some," Madeline said, flinching from the cold steel of the chair as she sat down.

"You missed lunch," Cora said, leaning back on her chair. "And school. What happened?"

"I wasn't in the mood for company and fattening food," Yumi replied briskly. "Sorry about what happened in school the other day. Prince Clovis is such a rat taking advantage of you. Especially now with your father in waning health. Is he getting better."

"No. And nothing ever will."

"I see." Yumi set the cup on its saucer and put it down. "So it's just a matter of keeping him happy, yes?"

"More or less," Cora sighed.

Nixie cleared her throat. "You know, Yumi, we leave early for Red Diamond City tomorrow. We need our beauty sleep."

"I can't sleep," said Yumi. "All this stuff about my mother has me so disturbed. I never would have thought of her as a killer." She fished her deck out of her pocket and looked at the head of Exodia glaring at her from the card. "These cards. She had to kill for them."

"Well, they were very bad people," said Madeline. "Many of the owners of zose cards were slavers, cheats, murderers, things of ze sort. Nevertheless, you should be happy she iz out zere wanting ze best for you. Cora, Nixie, and even I don't have that kind of luxury."

"What do you mean?"

"Cora iz a bit of a mystery, no? Seto Kaiba is her adoptive father, but her real parents threw her out when she was a baby. Nixie's mother died giving birth to her. And my mother was taken from me by King Forrest when I was but a baby. His soldiers ambushed our summer home. Mother was captured and sold into slavery. No one never saw her again."

"I'm so sorry," said Yumi. "Really, I am."

"Well, that iz why we are here, no? To teach them a lesson they shant soon forget. And to get Cora's beloved back from zere clutches."

"Damn right," Cora said. "Come on, Yumi. Let's go home. You like hot chocolate?"

Yumi smiled. "Of course, so long as I can have a slice of pizza to go along with it."

"Deal. Come on, girls. Let's get out of here before we freeze our butts off."

As they waited for Yumi to gather their things, they were being watched by Clovis, who was stomping his way towards them, furiously under the cover of darkness. But he had no deck of cards in his hand. No, the time for games was over. He brought with him a knife. One way or another, he was going to get the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. And get Cora out of his life once and for all. Too long had he been humiliated by Cora and her friends. Even in his greatest moment of triumph, he was shamed. After Kasumi kicked him in the gonads, he pissed himself. That caused greater humiliation than what he put Cora through.

Suddenly, the wind began to howl fiercely. A fiery glow flashed behind him. "What the…" he said. The flash then formed into an Arcane Circle. It was a portal. Clovis shrieked in horror and dove into a bush. He sat still, watching as figures began to walk out of the portal. One of them was a big, brute of a man, tall, muscular, and wide. He sported a black bandana with white dots for God knows what reason. More portals opened all over the park. Dozens of Duelists in black wearing jester masks jumped out and slithered through the shadows like snakes, all of them running towards Cora and her group.

"All right, boys!" said the large man. He slid his finger underneath his nostrils to clear them of mucus and then rubbed it on his leather slacks. "Weaken them. Weaken them good. If you take them down, we'll pay you."

"What's this?" Clovis whispered.

Another portal opened behind the man. Ralsh walked out with his hands in his pockets. "Oof, Yeyu, where is your Holy Flame? I really need it right now." He saw the masked Duelists beginning to swarm the girls.

"What iz going on!?" Madeline cried out.

"Get behind me!" Nixie commanded her. "Oh, it's on, now?"

Ralsh looked up at the man. "Yes, Brennen. What in the hell is going on here? What are all these Banner Duelists doing here?"

Brenner grinned a nasty grin and slid his finger across his nostrils again to wipe away the snot. "We're going to weaken them. Five on three. If they fail, another five will take over. Then, if they fail, me and my boys will take them out. They'll be too weak to continue playing against us."

"You cheat!" snapped Ralsh. "I should have you punished for this. Where is the honor in your strategy?"

"Fuck honor, Ralsh! These girls took down too many of our boys. And they woulda taken the lives of the little ones with no hesitation either. They're going down. Besides, the good doctor wants Cora's soul now so he can complete the experiment. He wants results and he ain't getting any happier. Also, you want me to tell Knox that you're shagging with River."

"Mention that again, and I'll Duel you myself. I will not go down easy, Brenner. Don't test me."

"Relax, Ralsh. Tonight, we will celebrate with a victory. The Flames of Yeyu will consume the souls of those sinners."

"Do what you must. But I assure you I won't let this slide. Mention my lover again, and I won't wait for a Duel. I'll take your head where you stand. Got it!" He opened another portal and disappeared.

Clovis held his hand over his mouth and watched as the big Duelist headed towards the clearing where the battle was to take place. "They must be the Banner Duelists I heard so much about," he whispered. "Let's see if Cora can get out of this mess."

One of the masked players activated the Banner of Yeyu, trapping the girls within the arcane circle. The first five Duelists jumped into the air and held up their cards and summoned their powerful beasts. Cora, Nixie, Yumi, and Madeline found themselves surrounded by Tridangle Intruder, Emperor Maju Garzett, Magias Palladion, and the spirit monster Yamoto-No-Kami. The leader, the player who activated the card, summoned the biggest and possibly the strongest monster, Gishki Zielgigas. He towered over the other monsters; an aquatic beast from the deepest depths of the ocean and as black as the darkness the enveloped it.

"You ready, Madeline?" Nixie asked.

"Oui. I am sure I can abide by zese rules. But, truth be told, I would rather take my chances wiz zose panty-stealing gnomes right about now."

Cora laughed. "Yeah, but it wouldn't be as fun as this. Taking down these creeps is sure to be a blast."

"Don't underestimate them," Yumi warned her. "That's the last thing we need right now. Madeline, why don't you start things off."

"Yes. Let's see if I can do this. I call upon Noble Knight Pellinore!" Her body radiated with a bright, golden aura. She put everything she had in summoning the Noble Knight with all its power. A horse whinnied from behind. A portal was opened and out jumped Pellinore and his great steed.

"It worked!" she cried.

"Good girl!" Cora cheered. "All right, here goes. Let's see your monsters tango with this bad boy. I summon Primal Dragon the Primordial Dragon!" As expected from the masked players, Cora summoned her dragon effortlessly. It seemed to morph out of her body and then loomed over the field. Its golden plates of armor formed and the summoning was complete.

Yumi took a deep breath and held out her card. "Reflection of Endymion, come forth!" The sigil of the Endymion Magicians appeared behind her, and from it emerged the beautiful and powerful sorceress wielding a magical chalice and a staff of gold ornamented with rubies.

They looked at Nixie, worried about her curse. She was looking forward to that. After her last Duel against Mickey and Tomba, the beast inside of her was awakened. His divine prehistoric power proved too much for the lame curse and broke it, healing Nixie of her wound. And not only did it restore her connection to the arcane, but it doubled it tenfold. She drew her card with her teeth and then held it up. "Regaliazowler!" she shouted.

Her eyes slit as she channeled the strength of the Ultimate Conductor Tyranno's soul to summon the powerful beast. It charged through a portal, shattering it like glass. The dinosaur she called was a new and improved version of the Megazowler monster. This creature was white with gold tiger stripes going down its body. The elongated frill was broad, tall, and adorned with golden spikes and the horns on its head also shined bright gold. Growing out of its shoulders were golden blades resembling crescent swords with scrollwork inlaid with platinum. The white ax-blade on its nose shimmered in the light of the street lamp.

"Whoa! Nixie!" shouted Cora. "Where did you get that!"

"In the new Arrival of the King pack!" Nixie boasted. "Pegasus had these made special for Yuri's return, considering he has blood ties with the Kingdom of Naralia."

Yumi cleared her throat sternly. "Yeah, that's great and all, Nixie, but we have work to do."

"Oh, indeed!" Madeline said, looking up at her dashing knight. "Let us get zis battle underway, ladies. Shall we?"

The masked players sniggered. "You think you can beat us all? We have you outnumbered. Attack Gishki!"

"Yeah! Let's get 'em!"

"Get those bitches! Emperor Maju Garzett attack!"

It was wrong underestimating them. Yes, even though the masked players outnumbered them five to three, their Ener-D was something to be desired. They had enough strength for a couple of monsters, and they thought they could make up for this with their numbers. But that did no good. After a twenty-minute fight, the five Banner Duelists were eliminated and consumed by the Banner of Yeyu.

"Poor bastards," Nixie said, huffing and wheezing from exhaustion. These players fought dirty. They would send their monsters to cheap shot the girls while their summons were busy fighting back other monsters. Earlier in the Duel, she got slashed in the back by Yamoto-No-Kami, ripping her overalls. The left strap hung helplessly over her waist, exposing the white top she wore underneath. Thankfully, Regaliazowler roared in fury when he saw this and trampled the monster to death.

She looked at Cora, who had to take her jacket off when it caught fire. Though she was cold, the adrenaline running through her warmed her up. Madeline exhausted herself with an Xyz Summon. After calling Noble Knight Peredur, she Overylayed him and Pellinore to call upon Sacred Noble Knight of King Custennin, who made short work of both Tridangle Intruder and Magius Palladion.

But then, five more Banner Duelists entered the Banner and summoned their beasts, without giving the girls a chance to rest. Nixie seemed fine, and her Regaliazowler was still in tip-top shape as was King Custennin, though Madeline paid a heavy price to summon him.

Yumi and her Reflection of Endymion had to stand guard and protect her. This almost proved fatal for Yumi. A Swordstalker summoned by one of the Banner Duelists almost cut Madeline's head off, but Yumi pushed her out of the way. She felt a fiery pain on her back. The blade cut her, slicing off her jacket and creating a deep wound on her back. Reflection of Endymion used her staff to smash Swordstalker on the skull and sent him reeling back in pain and frustration. Then, Reflection of Endymion used the magic of her chalice to heal the wound on Yumi's back.

"Thank you," she said, feeling a cool sensation wash away the pain. "I think we're going to need some help."

"Be careful," said Cora, watching Primordial Dragon battle a Machine King. "Summon too many monsters and you'll weaken yourself. The consequences could prove really bad if they fall."

"I know what I'm doing," Yumi said. She jumped out of Regaliazowler's way before getting run over by it. She channeled her Ener-D into her Extra Deck. "Come on out, Selene, the Sacred Empress of Magic."

Oh no. Cora was right. Selene was a formidable monster, but it drained her something fierce. Nevertheless, Selene went straight into the action, using her golden weapon as both as staff and a bow, which she used to launch magic elemental arrows at her foes. Sacred King Custennin, ever the noble hero, made sure no one got to his Lady. A group of Marauding Captains rushed towards her, but he showed them who the real swordsman was, by repelling them from her. Madeline couldn't help but grow crimson upon seeing the dashing knight looking down at her and winking as a sign to show her she was safe. "They're so gallant," she whispered. "That Lionheart girl from the South is lucky to actually summon them for real."

The monsters were defeated and the next set of Banner Duelists were swallowed by the Banner. But then, another five showed up and summoned an army of Machine monsters. This time, they had the upper hand. The monsters the girls summoned were getting tired. Regaliazowler was not as fast and impactive as it once was and Custennin's armor was getting chipped and his sword was dull.

Cora dug down deep and used her power to have Promodial Dragon borrow the strength of its fellow monsters to become the mighty Ten-Thousand Dragon. The other monsters fell to the ground to rest, hoping Ten-Thousand Dragon would hold the Machines back. With one great blast, they were destroyed. The Banner Duelists called more machines only to have them destroyed instantly by the dragon. Ten-Thousand. Need anyone say more. You could summon armies of those damned machines and it would not be enough. But Cora drained herself summoning the beast. She fell to the ground, her clothes were nothing but shreds after getting constantly attacked by the machine monsters. She looked back at her friends, cowering behind their tired monsters, hoping that this would be the last of them.

A slow clap told them it was not.

"You girls are impressive," Brenner said. "But now I think it's time to finish you off."

Cora tried to stand. "No...you...you can't do this."

Brenner laughed. "Funny, your two friends said the same to me." He held up two cards. Harpie Lady and Dragonmaid Huskee.

Cora babbled in horror. "B-Barbra?"

"Mai?" Yumi gasped. "No!"

"Ah, they were quite dear to you, I see," Brenner said, tossing the cards at them. "They were old, but they withstood so much. Know that they suffered greatly at my hand."

"Coward!" shouted Madeline. "You...you probably had them weakened like you did us."

"Ha! Call me what you want. I am still going to beat you. When you have endless power at your fingertips, fighting fair just isn't an option. Look at you. You are in no position to make threats. But I am a just man, so I'll let you have one last option. Leave Cora and Yumi to me. The rest of you can leave. But be assured we'll deal with you later."

"We will do no such thing," growled Madeline. "We still have monsters."

"Your funeral," he said, summoning the five pieces of Exodia.

"What is this?" cried Yumi. "How do you have those?"

Brenner laughed. "How? I have the power and love of Yeyu in my hands. With his divine might, we are able to control any monster. Even the all-powerful Exodia. Now, you know what happens when all five pieces of Exodia are together, eh?"

"You won't get that beast out!" shouted Cora. "I won't! Ten-Thousand Dragon…"

The dragon disappeared. Then so did Selene and Reflection of Endymion. Next, Regaliazowler vanished, and finally, Custennin did as well.

"What did this?" asked Cora.

Even Brenner was confused. "But my monster hasn't been summoned yet."

Suddenly, something small jumped out of the trees. "AYEEEEEE-AAAAA!" it shrieked. It blasted open the Banner of Yeyu, shattering it to pieces.

"NO!" cried Brenner. "What is this?"

It was Exodia. But….smaller. What in the world was this creature? He opened his palm and blasted Brenner in the chest with a blue energy beam, sending him flying across the park and out of sight.

The blast thundered and shook the park, then all was still and silent. He stood there watching the spot where Brenner once stood and just stayed there, ignoring the girls, moaning and groaning behind him.

Yumi looked at the creature. Something inside of her told her that it was meant for her. But what?

Nixie stood up and tried to walk. It took a moment, but she finally got on her two feet. The other stood up and walked to the strange creature to examine it. As they did, it turned to look at them. It was freaky looking. Creep even.

"What is it!?" Nixie cried. She grabbed a stick and hit it on the head.

"What are you doing, Nixie!?" shouted Cora.

"Look at it!" Nixie shrieked. "Ew, it's so freaky looking." She hit the Exodia creature with the stick two more times.

"Is that all ya got, pussy!" the creature said with a squeaky voice.

"What!?" Nixie shouted.

"Oh, Goddesses it talked!" cried Madeline.

"Yeah, and he called me a pussy!" Nixie said angrily. "How rude!"

Cora shrugged. "Well, you did hit him in the head with a stick."

"So what? Nobody calls me a pussy! Fuck you, pussy!"

"You're a pussy, pussy!" the small Exodia creature retaliated.

"Don't call me a pussy, you're the pussy!"

"Well, you are what you eat, eh, pussy!"

"Oh!" they all shouted.

"What are you!" Yumi said at once, coming to see it for herself.

"Oh, you must be Yumi," said the creature. "I'm glad I found you. Come with me."

"What do you need her for?" Cora said.

"Ya want me to explain out here? I think that's a bad idea. Your clothes are torn to shreds, it's raining, and it's fucking cold."

"We'll take you to our place," said Madeline. "How does that sound?"

The creature nodded. "Sure. I like the sound of that." He bowed. "I'm Exodia by the way. True Exodia."

* * *

**Ralsh**

* * *

He furiously slapped Brenner across the face. "Idiot! You let them get away! Even with your cheating ways!"

"It wasn't my fault!" shouted Brenner, rubbing his cheek. "I did not anticipate that...that thing to pop up. I don't even know what it is."

Ralsh sighed and leaned against the trunk of a tree. "This does complicate things."

"Not just that, but did you see the way they took down fifteen of our players? They're strong Ralsh, far stronger than I would have hoped. What are we going to do?"

"Excuse me," Prince Clovis said, coming out of the darkness. "Are you the Banner Duelists I heard so much about?"

Ralsh narrowed his eyes. "What's it to you, kid?"

"Yeah, beat it," said Brenner.

"No, I want to join you! I want to help you take down Cora. Teach me how to use the power of the Banner, and I promise I will make it worth your while."


	29. Contract with Exodia: Part 2

**Cora**

* * *

The wind began to pick up as the rainstorm hovered closer to Domino City. In the battle, Cora lost her jacket. Her blouse was ripped to shreds, leaving her shoulders and arms exposed. Thankfully, it was a short walk to the luxury towers where she lived.

"What do you want with me?" Yumi asked True Exodia, who was marching in front of them in a goofy manner.

Nixie scoffed. "Maybe the little pussy is a hobo who needs a home."

"No, pussy, I'm here because she needs my help," True Exodia said. Yumi came up from behind and picked him up. "Whoa, what gives?"

"Pretend that you are a toy. I don't think many people, in there, are going to take kindly to a miniature version of Exodia walking about. And I don't mean to offend, but you are rather freaky-looking."

They walked through the foyer without incident and finally made it upstairs to their suite.

"We're home," Cora said.

M, watching TV with Jericho, Amy, and Brandy was stunned to see them in their current state. They had cuts, were soaked, cold, and their clothing was ripped beyond recognition.

"What the HELL happened to you?" M yelled in horror.

"Oh, my!" Amy said, covering her mouth with her hand.

Jericho stirred her fork in a cup of steaming ramen noodles. "Hmm, it looks like we missed some action out there. Was it a Banner Duelist?"

"Duelists," Nixie corrected her, removing her torn sweater and tossing it away in the trash. "Plural! A gang of Duelists. There were like fifteen of them or something."

"And you survived?" Jericho asked, slurping the last of her noodles.

Yumi nodded and help up True Exodia so the rest of the others could see. "Because of this guy," she said.

"'Sup," True Exodia said with a salute.

"What in the hell is that?" Kasumi said, running down the stairs. She saw them enter from the balcony on the third floor.

"He calls himself True Exodia," Cora replied, rubbing her hands up and down her shoulders. Her teeth chattered. "He says he's here to help Yumi."

Madeline heaved three times and let out a petit sneeze.

"We'll have to get to that later," Kasumi said shaking her head. "Look at you. Come on, let's get you girls into a hot bath and some new clothes. Now, before you catch a death of cold."

Madeline and Nixie didn't want to argue with that. Jericho, wanting to hear the story, followed them upstairs. Amy and Brandy rushed up to join them. They hurried upstairs to the bathhouse so they could warm up and heal from the battle earlier. But Cora and Yumi didn't move. They were both paralyzed with sorrow.

"I might as well be dead," Yumi said sadly. A big tear rolled down her cheek. "They...they defeated Mai in a Banner Duel."

M jumped over the couch. "What? Come on, Yumi, that isn't funny."

"I'm not joking!" she yelled. "They defeated Mai and took her soul."

"Ms. Goldwine, too," Cora added, putting her arm over Yumi's shoulder. "We lost them. Those cowards ambushed us the way they did us. They didn't stand a chance." Cora buried her face in her hands and sobbed. "They're gone, Kass."

"Aw, man," M said. "Mai Valentine."

"And Miss Goldwine," Kasumi added. "Oh, no. This has gotten way out of hand. M, why don't you and Jack prepare us some dinner? We're going to have a little talk upstairs. I'm in need of a warm bath myself."

"You mean…"

"Yes, we're going to bathe together!" Kasumi snapped, not in the mood for immaturity. "Either you cook us some food or go out looking for it!" She pointed out at the storm, splashing the windows with ice-cold water. "Either way, if I don't find dinner by the time we come down, I'll smash your balls the way I did that jackass, Prince Clovis."

"Oooo," hooted True Exodia. "You need to do as she says, pal."

"Touchy, touchy," M said, backing off. "Is it your time of the month or something?"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Cora said, walking upstairs. She helped Yumi along the way. True Exodia was allowed to wander the suite at his own luxury. Meanwhile, M and Jack got to work trying to prepare something nice for their friends.

* * *

**Jack and M**

* * *

"Man, I can't believe they forced us in the kitchen," he said, looking through a holographic screen detailing the recipe for gourmet hamburgers. He knew how to dabble in the kitchen, for he hailed from a line of chefs from the capital of Akuuda, serving the Walston Royal Family. In fact, M once had dinner with Prince Marcel. They were friends for a short while, but as life pressed on, they drifted far apart.

"Well, we must do what we must," Jack said cutting lettuce. "Seems like they're the ones in charge of this whole operation."

"I have as much reason to be here as they do," M said, flipping to another page with a swipe of his finger. "Those Yeyu bastards took my soul and sent me to some horrible nightmare world. I can't get those images out of my head, man. It was hell or something, know what I'm saying? It makes my hair stand on end."

"The girls in our group do have more value in terms of power and magic than we do," said Jack. He picked up the cutting board and pushed the lettuce into a bowl with his knife. "Cora is the daughter of Seto Kaiba, Yumi, the daughter of Yugi Muto, Kasumi is the Princess of Gō-Ak and of the few people in the world to master the Tenyi fighting style. And I believe your girlfriend Nixie has the soul of a powerful dinosaur living in her. You and me, we're just some generic rich kids. Not exactly what those Yeyu guys are looking for."

"No, but they'll come after us regardless just to put our friends out of their game. We can't let that happen."

"You already did," Jack chuckled. "You lost your Duel. And by some mercy, they brought you back. Hmm. One can only hope Mai and Ms. Goldwine get the same. Cora and Yumi looked devastated."

"Yeah, and that's just what those bastards want. They know they can't fight our girls at 100%, so they have to find cheap ways of getting to them. You'd best watch out, Jack. You being so close to Kass and all makes you a prime target."

Jack chuckled. "She and I are no longer a thing, M. I have my eyes set on a far greater prize."

"What?"

"Cora, of course. I had my doubts about her at first. She seemed like a spoiled nobody when she first came to school. Not worth my time. But once those Blue-Eyes White Dragons came into her deck, it was a whole different story. That girl has power as well as beauty. Not to mention wealth; far more than the fortune Kasumi's family has."

"Hey, hey, hey," M said, turning around. "That ain't cool, Jack. You can't just dump Kasumi like that. Girls aren't toys, man. You can't just play with one and then leave it when a shiny new one comes out. They are people, too. They have lives, feelings just like you believe it or not."

"You must think me a chauvinist," Jack said, sliding his hand down his gelled hair. "No, M. I don't treat women like toys. I respect them, if they deserve my respect that is. Kasumi is a beautiful girl and one with a big heart. But she never captured my heart. Remember, our marriage was arranged for the benefit of the East Termnnia Trading Company."

"But you never hesitated parading her in skimpy outfits and kissing her for photoshoots, eh?"

"You just said so yourself, M. It's just business. Honest and truly, I've been wanting to get out of this marriage for a very long time. I was just waiting for the perfect bride to come along. And Cora Kaiba is the one."

"I know you're just bullshitting me, Jack. You said earlier you didn't like Cora until she started to display her power as a Kaiba."

"Sometimes it takes a while to see the worth in your significant other, M. Love, at first sight, are silly things we read in books. Kasumi and I didn't love at first sight. We still find it hard getting used to each other. See, Kasumi doesn't like me. Well...men in general."

"Say what?"

"I saw her in a romantic relationship with a girl not too long ago. A secret, you know. A Thunder Dragon player by the name of Fanny of House Chricton. I saw them kissing by the fountain one night when I was walking home after studying in the library all day. And again in the pool of our mansion in Costa del Sol. Fanny snuck in through the back gate and Kasumi went down to greet her. Sadly, their relationship didn't end well. Fanny and her family had to move back to Emboldor for senatorial matters. Never heard from her again. Poor thing."

"You're out of luck," said M. "You know Cora is also into girls, too, right? do you think she kisses that girl Krissa for fun?"

"I won't give up," Jack said confidently. "For all I know, her relationship with that girl won't last long. She's a nobody. We don't even know if she's even from the temple. Trust me, M, I have a way with girls. In time, I will make her appreciate me. I have a lot to offer her."

"Good luck to you then," said M. "I'd kick your ass for telling me this, but I want to personally watch Cora and Kasumi do it when they find out what a sleazeball you really are."

"You're going to tell them?"

"Yeah. And don't you try and stop me."

"Then I challenge you to a Duel under the rules of the Dueling Pact. Noble vs Noble, yes?"

"What?"

"Yes. I'd rather it this way. I have resources that can make you...disappear. I don't want to do that, I like you."

M had no choice but to accept. He followed Jack downstairs to the main floor arena to have their match.

"You should have kept your mouth shut, M," Jack said drawing his card. "I summon Dark Grepherby discarding a Dark monster, who just so happens to be Danger! Mothman! When discarded, we both draw a card and then we must discard one."

"I'm all set," said M.

"Good. Now the monster I discarded earlier is Orcust Knightmare. I will banish him to target my Dark Grepher and increase his attack points. And I send a Dark monster to my Graveyard, who happens to be Orcust Harp Horror. I banish Harp Horror to summon another Orcust Knightmare to my field. Then, I will sacrifice them both to Link Summon Orcust Galatea, the Orcust Automaton!"

He summoned a girl with long lavender hair, flowing behind her like a cape. She swung a scythe to intimidate M.

**ATK/1800**

**LINK-2**

"She's cute," said M. "What do you plan to do with her?"

Jack replied by pulling off what M thought was a strange combo. During his play, he was able to bring out the Field Spell, Orcustrated Babel. He then Xyz Summoned a 3000 ATK monster named Dingirsu, the Orcust of the Evening Star just to Link Summon another Galatea.

"Really, Jack?" said M. "All that work just to summon the same monster again?"

"You think that's all I've done, M? Go ahead then. Show me the error of my ways. I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"I draw!" yelled M. "I play Charge of the Light Brigade. Now I send the top three cards from my deck to the Graveyard and —"

"My Ash Blossom has something to say about that."

"No need to explain," M said in frustration. "Man, I hate that card. All right, let's see what else I can do here."

"Well, why you figure that out, Galatea's effect activates. I return a banished monster to my deck and set a card face-down."

"All right, not bad. But one of the cards I discarded was Glow-Up Bulb. With its effect, I can special summon another one to the field. Then, using the effect of the Jet Synchron I have in the Graveyard, I can discard a card and Special Summon him to the field. Now, I will send them out to Link Summon my Knightmare Phoenix! And I'll use its effect to discard a card so I can pop one of your face-downs."

"The card you chose to 'pop' was Orcust Crescendo. With Galatea on the field, I am allowed to negate your Phoenix's effect and destroy it."

M covered his ears to protect them from the loud blast of his Knightmare Phoenix blowing up. He quickly got back to the Duel and summoned Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn, which then allowed him to summon Wulf, the Lightsworn Beast. Then he Overlayed them to summon Minerva the Exalted Lightsworn. She was an angel garbed in white and chased with gold. Her wings spanned almost fifteen feet long and she had a snowy-white owl for a familiar.

**ATK/2000 DEF/800**

**Rank 4**

M then activated Minerva's effect by sending away an Xyz Material. But Jack countered using the effect of one of his Orcust monsters in the Graveyard. He banished it and revived Dingrisu. The mechanical monster towered over M. It looked like a construct of musical pipes made into a humanoid mech with a lance mounted on a mechanical stallion. With 3000 ATK, M was a little nervous of its appearance, and for good reason.

Jack was able to destroy M's Minerva with Dingrisu's summoning. He was wide open for the moment, but he had what he needed to summon a powerful new creature. He banished three monsters of different types from his Graveyard to summon a newly released monster called Archnemesis Eshatos, a dragon that was a hybrid of multiple creatures from sea serpents, wyverns, and a Kraken.

"What a freak!" said Jack.

"Wait till you see what this freak can do, Jack! I use his effect to destroy all of your monsters!"

"What! No!"

Archnemesis Eshatos released a purple beam from its mouth and blasted all of Jack's monsters. He attacked directly, dealing 3000 points of damage to him.

"Not bad," Jack complimented him. "You have made use of the new archetypes and the Fifth Master Rule. Must be easy to get what you want without the need to Link Summon first, eh?"

"You bet, and now that I can summon my Extra Deck monsters in an area other than the Extra Monster Zone this time, it's like my deck is in the fast lane now. The way it should be. I hated how Links had to be the way to unlock the power of the Extra Deck beforehand. They're cool and all, but they controlled the flow of my deck way too much, know what I'm saying."

"Indeed," said Jack. "I must cater my deck to the new Master Rules as well when the time comes. But for now, I will start my turn. I flip up my face-down card. Orcustrated Return. I discard an Orcust monster and draw two cards. Next, I banish Orcust Crescendo to add a card to my hand. Then, I summon Mathematician. I will use his effect to send a Level Four or lower monster from my hand. I end my turn."

"Is that all, man?" M laughed. "A math master?"

"Math opens the doors to many things, M. In this case, my victory and your silence."

"If you say so. I hope you weren't relying on him to get you something. Cuz Eshatos will activate his effect again and wipe him out. Now, I'm targeting you directly."

"I think not. I banish one of my Orcust monsters to revive Dingrisu."

The dragon's attack ceased when the musical automaton arose. It's mechanical stallion whinnied, rearing up on its hind legs to stop the monster from attacking.

"You know what happens when Dingrisu is summoned, yes? Your Eshatos is destroyed."

"Aw, no!" cried M.

Dingrisu charged towards M's dragon at full speed and jammed its lance in the dragon's chest.

"I end my turn," M groaned.

"And I will banish an Orcust monster to summon Knightmare back to the field. My turn. I use another Orcustrated Return and draw two cards by discarding this card. Now, I summon Orcust Harp Horror. And then, I'll banish an Orcust from the cemetery and revive Galatea. I'll use her and Knightmare to Link Summon Longirsu, the Orcust Orchestrator (ATK 2500 LINK-3). Next, I banish eight cards to Special Summon Gizmek, Orochi, the Serpentron Sky Slasher!"

**ATK/2450**

He then raised Longrisu's attack to 3000 and attacked with all his monsters, save for Longrisu. M was reduced to a small portion of his Life Points. When the bombardment ended, he drew his card. Nothing good came out of his draw.

M sighed and placed his hand on the top of his deck. "All right, all right. You win. I won't tell them anything. But like I said before, I hope Cora and Kasumi give you your just rewards. Don't think for a second you'll get anything good from either of them. They're too good for a person like you."

The monsters disappeared and the arena was still. "I have to try, M. I love Cora."

"You love what she is, not her as a person. You told me yourself that marrying her would be more beneficial to the company."

"That's just to please my folks, M. Cora's just so strong, so passionate, so beautiful. She's the one I've always wanted to share my life with. I want to marry her."

"You're not going to change who she is because you love her, Jack. It's a dumb quest. One that will leave you maimed and in pain forever. You're Jack Ganon, man. You're a pianist known all over Termnnia. You can have any girl you want if you made the effort."

"The only girl I want is Cora."

M sighed. "It can't happen, man."

Jack screamed, slamming his hands on both sides of the Dueling Pod. "Why does it have to be so complicated, M?"

"It's just the way it is, man. It doesn't matter how much money you've got in your pocket. There are just some things in life that you can't have. Cora is one of them. Look, Kasumi, despite how you feel about her, she's grown to like you."

"No, she hasn't. She wouldn't have been secretly dating other girls if that were the case. I'll set her free if that what she wants. I know it's what I want. I want to be free to marry who I want."

"And you're going to take away Cora's freedom to love who she wants because you want her? That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, man."

"I'm not taking anything, M. I know who she is and what she desires, but I still want to try at least. Funny how you say this doesn't make sense. Love tends to take away sense in people."

"It sure does," M said. "I lost my mind and kissed a girl who turned primal the other day."

Jack laughed. "I see. Well, that truly is jumping the gun. Still, you are to remain silent about this. I want to do this without any sort of interference. I want this to be between me, Cora, and Kasumi."

"For the sake of my health, I won't say a thing."

Jack chuckled again. "I was kidding about the whole assassination thing, M. I don't do that to people."

"You could have just asked."

"Would you have kept your word if I told you to promise any other way? No, I thought not. Per the Dueling Pact, you made an oath to the Goddesses to keep your word. So you will not say a thing anyway."

"I'm a man of my word, Jack. I promise to leave this matter between you and the girls. Trust me, I don't wanna get involved or be around when Kasumi gets pissed off. You're a good guy, Jack. Just be careful. That ain't love you're feeling for Cora. It's lust. And lust is even more dangerous than love. Love makes you confused. Lust can turn you into a monster."

* * *

The two of them went back to the suite to finish cooking their food and later played an online shooting game. Still, Cora and the others didn't come out of the bathhouse. He thought they went up there to calm down from their battle and deal with the pain of losing Mai and Ms. Goldwine to the Banner Duelists. He guessed the somber moments didn't last long, for as soon as the second match of their game started, they heard splashing, playful squealing, and laughing coming from behind the stone door.

"They've been in there for over two hours," M said looking at his wristwatch. "I thought Jericho was going to add nightshade to the water so it could calm them down. Now it sounds like they're having fun in there."

"Let them enjoy themselves," Jack said. He jumped. "Haha! I secured my care package!"

"Awesome, tear 'em down!" said M.

He heard a rhythmic cartoony splattering like multiple suction cups being pulled out at once. It was the so-called True Exodia. "Nice place she's got here," he said.

"So what are you?" M asked.

"I'm True Exodia."

"No, you're not," said Jack. "Exodia is….bigger and….cooler."

"Believe what you wanna believe, my dude," True Exodia said, sitting down to watch the match.

"So what are you doing here?"

"My business is with Miss Yumi. Daughter of Yvonne the Raven."

"And the daughter of the King of Games," M added.

"If that's what they say nowadays," True Exodia said with a shrug. "What those matters are, I'm afraid I cannot discuss unless Yumi is present." He heard playful whooping upstairs and water being splashed. "And she's busy so it seems. What an odd way to mourn someone."

"Let them have some fun," said M. "They've had a rough night. Yumi's heart is full of grief and she needs her friends to pull through. Getting her depressed will cloud her mind with emotions, and that's what those Banner bastards want to do. Cora as well. You know her father is in his death bed?"

"Aw, gee," True Exodia said, changing his tone. "I didn't know. How long does he have?"

"A couple of weeks," Jack replied. "And that's only if we're lucky. The Rosenkruz Syndrome is quite a mystery."

"One that wasn't meant to be solved," said M. "I wish there was something we could do, you know. I don't want to see Seto Kaiba die. He's a strict man, but he's the last bastion of sanity we have left in this fucking city. He's the one keeping those Yeyu bastards at bay. And now that he's dying, they're taking over as though they've won the place. I passed by St. Megan's Park the other day. It was full of weirdos in white robes and women dressed in nun-looking garments. I wanted to Duel Nixie there but we got kicked out. They claim we can't play there anymore because the lawmakers in the Senate have banned Duel Monsters in certain places of the city. We know those congressmen and senators are in the Emerald Fire Party. Not even a month in office and already they're changing things to accommodate only those of their faith. It's getting too far out of hand, man."

Jack breathed out of his nose to expel his rage. "Makes me wonder why King Eldon doesn't do anything about it. The only person who has the balls to stand up to them is Prince Michael. Oh, and his pal the Cyber Knight, I guess."

"You mean, Zane? Yeah. But there's only so much two men can do against an ideology followed by millions. Pretty soon we're going to be dressed like those mindless robots I saw in the park."

"It won't get to that point," Jack replied. "I just know Eredas won't surrender to Yeyunism that fast."

"I hope so," M said with a sigh. "I hope so."

* * *

**Yumi**

* * *

She sat on the windowsill, arms wrapped around her legs and chin to her knees, watching True Exodia munch on a bag of chips. Cora and the others were sound asleep, the sound of rain tapping on the glass put them into slumber not long after they got out of the bathhouse and changed. Even though she had fun horsing around with her friends, Yumi was still in mourning at the loss of her godmother. Tears slowly streamed down her cheek and her nose was as red as a strawberry. Warmed from being in the tub for so long, she wore only a long, white off-the-shoulder sweater.

"Is there no way to get her back?" she asked, staring at the keepsake bracelet of gold with heart and star-shaped diamonds dangling from it. That bracelet was all Yumi had left of Mai Valentine. "I miss her." She said, her voice cracking with sorrow. She sniffed and wiped a few tears away with her sleeve.

"I have no knowledge of such things, sweetie," True Exodia said.

He looked around for something to cheer her up. There was a white teddy bear on the chair underneath the sill where he and Yumi sat. He picked it up and handed it to her. Yumi didn't know why he would do such a thing, but he was being very kind and took it. She embraced it tightly and brushed some strands of her raven-black hair off her face. The ruby heart hanging from the side of her black choker sparkled alongside her weepy heterochromia eyes. Lavender and royal purple were lovely colors, he thought.

True Exodia then felt his stomach melting. She was very beautiful and it warmed his heart to see she found comfort in the bear he gave her. He patted her leg and said: "Maybe we'll figure something out. But for now, I'm here for you."

Yumi wiped away one final tear with the tip of her fingernail and nodded."Of course. There's so much I want to know about you. First off, who sent you?"

"Your mother did."

Yumi gasped. "Do you know where she is?"

"I'm not at liberty to say. See, I wasn't expecting this whole Banner Duelist saga taking place. I was hoping to take you with me and walk the roads of Termnnia. There's stuff we need to take care of. Stuff concerning your destiny."

"My destiny?"

"Yes. Listen good and hold on tight, because if all goes well, this could grow to be something far bigger than that girl out in the west who can summon dragons. Yumeko. I was supposed to take you out of here because of him." He pointed to the head of Exodia on the top of Yumi's deck. "You have been chosen by the Lord of all Monsters to summon him. Just as your ancestors did thousands of years ago during the reign of the Pharoahs."

Yumi blinked rapidly. She looked left and right frantically, wondering how in the world she was going to respond to this. "I? A Summoner of Exodia?"

"Yes. It's in your blood. Long ago during the War of the Giants, Norman the Conqueror and his Divine Beasts were losing the battle against Zorc Necrophades. Offspring of the Perfect Goddess. They lost their only allies, the Ancient Beasts, who had to be destroyed because of their own greed. So, Horakhty, knowing it was dangerous, summoned her son, Exodia to deal with Zorc. But he was so full of himself, that he would not come to the world for free. He demanded a sacrifice. So the Celtra — The Gardeners of the World — offered themselves as a tribute for his summon. Almost half a billion souls were lost to please Exodia. This angered the Goddesses. After Exodia defeated Zorc, Horakhty bound him with Talaste, Undros, Miyonna, Morundos, and Zantos. Powerful chains forged by the Goddess of the Smiths. And then, he was cut into five pieces, each sealed away in a new dimension Horakhty created just to imprison him."

"Ah, so that's why you need five cards just to summon him, right?" Yumi asked.

"Yes. Yes. As further punishment, he was to be a slave to a family of priests who were heavily devoted to Horakhty during the chaos of the War of the Giants. Every age or so, a new priest would take the mantle as the Summoner of Exodia. But, they fell into extinction when the Great Leviathan flooded the world. And the power to Summoner Exodia was lost and turned to legend. That was until a mage named Simon unlocked the power to summon him when Zorc returned one last time. When he died, the power to summon Exodia was lost again. Until now. Your mother is a long-lost heir of the Priests of Exodia."

Yumi's face turned green. All of a sudden, she started growing cold.

"It's true," said True Exodia. "Why else did your mother wander the ends of the earth to find you those cards? Many think that Yugi Muto is the one to call upon him, but that's not the case. But let's face it, he got lucky is all. Heart of the Cards my golden ass."

Yumi began panting heavily. She felt as though she had won a billion pounds of gold. "Why didn't she use this power for herself."

"It took her some time to learn of her ancestry," said True Exodia. "By the time she figured out where she came from and who she was, something terrible happened. Not only does this destiny tie you with Exodia, my darling, but it also puts Prince Yuri in it, too."

"But how?"

"Well, his parents, Luthia and Gabriel, were great friends with her. After they escaped persecution of their forbidden love, Yami and King Antar gave them their own lands to rule when he named Gabriel Delgado Duke of Karad-Antha. And because your mother was so loved by Gabriel and Luthia, they had her named as their official House Carl and dubbed her to be Yuri's godmother. But their happiness was cut short when Anubis attacked. Your mother blamed herself for failing to protect them and leaving Yuri orphaned. She felt so ashamed by her failure, that she fled into the wilderness and swore to Horakhty that she would never use the power of Exodia. But it looks like that legacy can continue because of you."

"And you wanted to take me on a quest to do what?"

"To unlock more of Exodia's power, my dear. There are many forms of him you are destined to unlock."

"Like that dark monster that Banner Duelist summoned, right?"

"Exodia Necross is his name," said True Exodia. "But do not fret. The monster he summoned to try to defeat you and your friends was just another trading card. The real one is much worse. Much, much worse. He will answer to no one but the chosen summoner. You."

"I understand. But my friends need me. I can't leave them now."

"I won't have you do such a thing. It's clearly obvious that they need your help. But you must promise me something."

"Anything."

"When this task is complete you must come with me, no questions asked. Am I clear?"

"We are," Yumi said with a nod. "And if I do come with you, will you help me find my mother?"

True Exodia sighed. "We shall see what happens. That woman does not want to be found. But I will do my best to have you both meet."

"Thank you. Thank you so much!"

"Shh, you'll wake your friends. Come now. Off to bed. We have a big day tomorrow."


	30. East Wing Blues

**Rest Easy, Dad! I'm going to miss you. :(**

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

Once the morning crept over the world, Cora and her friends gathered what they needed for another day at school and then headed downstairs to the tower's game shop to pick up a few cards from the new sets that were recently released. They found something they...did not expect.

"Rush Duels?" M said, looking at the new designs a few brand new monsters had. They were specially made for the new version of the game. "This isn't a requirement, is it? I mean, I don't have to add these things to my deck, do I?"

"Don't worry, babe," Nixie said, chuckling. "It's a whole new game. There's no need to add those cards to your deck. And I'm glad, that new magician right there has this awkward-looking rape face, don't you think?"

"I think he's wonderful," Cora said, not very judgemental about the cards. She started looking at a few new cards in the glass display cases. "Check out these new Red Dragon Archfiend supports. Red Super Nova Dragon. Man, that thing is so beast!"

"Why don't you add him to your deck?" Jericho suggested. She walked closer to Cora to get away from a possible outburst from a boy pleading his mom to buy him some cards. "I think Red Dragon Archfiend works well with Blue-Eyes."

The mother told the boy to put the cards away and lectured him about how she was here to buy a few things for a girl's birthday and not for him.

Cora tapped her bottom lip as she pondered what Jericho suggested. She had always wanted to try playing the Red Dragon Archfiend archetype.

"You know, I would if I could, but they are so hard to find, even for my dad. So far I only have Red Dragon Archfiend himself and his Red Nova Dragon form. The others like his Red Hot forms are always sold out by the time I go shopping for them. It's like Jack Atlas himself just buys them all or something. Speaking of which, anyone see him on the cover of Duel Kings Magazine?"

Jericho licked her lips. "Mmm, I sure did."

The mother grabbed the pack of cards from the boy's hand and put it away. He whined loudly, meanwhile Jericho and Cora high-fived. "Oof, I hope I get to Duel him one day."

"Me too, girl," said Cora. "I'd go straight for him."

M burst out laughing when she said that. "Damn, Cora. It's never a dull moment with you."

"You cannot blame her for that," Madeline swooned, remembering the cover as well. "Jack Atlas iz one of ze hottest bachelors in Domino City behind Prince Michael. On ze subject of dragons going well with your Blue-Eyes, have you thought about Galaxy-Eyes, Cora?"

The boy whined again and picked up another pack of cards, following his mom to the checkout line. Things were about to heat up.

"Galaxy-Eyes?" Cora asked.

"I want iiiit," the boy whined.

Kasumi joined in, wanting to get as far away from the confrontation with the boy and his mother. "Yeah, Pegasus uncovered the ancient cards of the monsters Evangelia Pendragon once used to defeat your ancestors in the Waltz of the Dragon Queens. Avi the Dragon Summoner was the first to use them. Now that they are a success, they've become a new archetype for the game. They're pretty cool-looking."

"Uh-huh," said Jericho. "Come on Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon, babe. That's what you need for your deck!"

"No way, that thing is so overrated," Kasumi argued.

"You're probably mad it trounced your ass a dozen times," Jericho countered. "Trust me, Cora. Crystal Wing all the way."

"She would say that," Madeline said. "She's a member of the Synchro Summoners Guild. Looking for a new member, I see."

Jericho snapped her fingers and smirked. "Well, Blue-Eyes White Dragons are about the Synchros. And don't point your finger at me for playing favorites. Hmph. You're pushing Cora to use those Xyz Monsters because you are part of the Xyz Summoners Guild, yes?"

"I am."

"There. It makes sense why you want Cora to have Galaxy-Eyes. They're Xyz based mostly."

Madeline smirked. "Of course I want Cora as part of the guild. Xyz Monsters are much easier to summon and are far more powerful by comparison."

"Easier, ha! It takes more skill to summon Synchro Monsters."

"And more cards," Kasumi countered. "I watched your Duel with Ethan. You burned through almost half your deck just to bring those D/D/D monsters out."

Jericho waved her hand up and down. "Details, details. I was able to bring out boss monsters who negate anything my opponent can play. Half my deck seems like a worthy payout to me."

"Well, my Monarchs can wipe the board and negate as soon as they're summoned," Amy said.

"Some of them can," Jericho sniggered. "They're cool but not as cool as my Different Dimension Daemons."

The mother took the cards from the boy and put them away. "What the FRRRCCCKKK!" he roared. He fell to his knees, hands grasping the back of his head. He roared in sorrow. His mom came and picked him up. He refused to move from the spot, arm reaching for the cards. "But I want it! I want it, ma!"

"Oh, Horakhty, have mercy," Jericho silently sniggered, finding the whole situation rather awkward.

"Mommy, I want it!" the boy shouted, grabbing a structure deck from the shelf. "Mommy, please! Mom!" he cried out one last time. She kept on walking, much to the boy's anger. "DARN IIIIIIIITTTT!" he roared as if he were a Berja charging into battle. Then he wept in disappointment.

"Victor are you serious?" the mother cried out.

"Yeah but I want it! I waaant it!" He started smashing things on his way out. "It's not fair! It's not fair! You promised me! You promised meeeee! I get nothing! Always nothing!"

He went out the door, kicking shopping carts. The mother followed telling him to stop. And then silence. They were gone at last.

"All right, folks, show's over," said the store manager.

"So when does the bus leave?" Cora said after an awkward silence. "I am so glad I can't have kids."

"Not with your preference, love," giggled Jericho. "Come on, let's get what we need and hit the road. So, Cora, what kind of cards are you going to get?"

"I'll take all of them," Cora said, whipping out her credit card. "Galaxy-Eyes, Red Dragon Archfiend, Crystal Wing. They're all too wonderful to pass up."

"Which ones do you want, sweetie?" asked the friendly cashier.

Cora picked more than fifty cards from the display case. The cashier wrapped them neatly in foil and packaged them in a leather case before handing it to her. "Thank you," he said. "Have a wonderful day."

"You, too," Cora said. She walked out of the store and waited for the others to finish their shopping.

Yumi came down later from the penthouse, clutching the white bear True Exodia gave her. He was on her back acting like a backpack. She had a red silk ribbon in her hair.

"Look at you," Cora said, running her fingers through Yumi's jet-black hair. "Don't you clean up nice. Uh, cool-looking backpack."

"It's the best we could come up with," True Exodia said silently. "And don't pay me any heed. People are going to find you weird talking to a bag, Cora."

Yumi gave a quick roll of her eyes and nodded. Cora couldn't help but giggle and followed her out of the hotel to a bus that took them all the way to school.

"Hey, Madeline," said Jericho. "Come on, let's find some food. We've got some time before our classes start."

"Oui. I could use a bite to eat."

"Cora. Think you can handle a few hours without me?"

Cora replied with a nod and watched as they both went upstairs to the food court and were out of sight, leaving the others behind.

"I wonder when those Banner Duelists will strike again," Amy said nervously. She took off her coat before sitting down on a bench in front of a gold fountain with water shooting hundreds of feet high and lit in yellow and blue lamps. The water was dancing around to graceful music from intercoms on the ceiling.

"Who knows," Jack said, checking the time on his phone. The train to the underwater halls of the school was due to arrive in ten minutes. "All I know is that we need to be on our guard. They almost killed you last night."

"Poor, girl," M said. "They really ripped them apart. Good thing that Exodia thing came when it did."

"M?" a girl said to his right. "Is that you?"

M froze like a statue. His eyes doubled in size from the shock he received from hearing that voice. He turned to look at the young lady and see if she was who he thought she was. The girl was standing in front of him, wearing a gold and emerald green uniform with a white flannel skirt. She wore an orange beret with a gold shield-shaped badge pinned to the front. An engrailed cross was in on the shield with musical notes and mathematical equations on the third and first quarters and Duel Monsters cards and a sword on the second and fourth quarters.

Her dark brown hair was curled and went down to her back and she wore black spectacles with heavy frames.

"Fanny!" M said. "I...I….Hey! How have you been?"

"I've been well. Look at you. You're in Rosenkruz Academy so I heard. I'm going to school at…"

"St. Martin Community College, yeah, I know. Your freshman year was the last I heard from you."

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry for that unpleasantness. Hello, Nixie," Fanny greeted her old friend.

"You," Nixie said standing up. "What are you doing here? Don't you have a big exam to study for or something?"

"Oh, no, I'm coming back from a class trip to Costa del Sol. Rosenkruz is the last spot on our trip before going home. You are so lucky, M. This place is wonderful."

"Oh," M said sadly.

"Is something wrong?"

"You went to Costa del Sol? I didn't expect someone like you going there. You said you were always shut off and stuff. Wanting to be alone. You know Costa del Sol is a place for social butterflies, right? And the kind of people that go there, right?"

"You haven't changed," Fanny giggled. "Come on, M. Let's not dwell in the past. I want to make it up to you for what happened last time."

Nixie did all she could to keep from laughing. "Really? You think it's going to be that easy?"

"Nothing ever is," Fanny replied, trying to keep her composure. "Please. Let's not fight. I don't think it was chance that we wound up meeting here. Let's take this opportunity to patch things up one way or the other."

"You mean become friends again?" M said. "I don't know, Fanny. You said some pretty hurtful things."

"What's going on?" Cora asked, joining them.

Fanny stepped back and starting laughing in excitement. She was clearly starstruck. "C-C-Cora Kaiba? This is such a pleasure. I've heard so much about you."

"Thanks. Who are you?"

Nixie walked forward with a scowl on her face. "This is Fanny En'Pruette of the Citrus Islands. She used to be my best friend."

"Used to be?" said Cora.

Fanny let out a frustrated and heavy sigh. "Nixie, if that's the way you want to be fine. I'm just here for M. Can we talk alone?"

"Sure," said M. He turned to look at Nixie. "If that's —"

"Do whatever you want," Nixie said. She turned and walked away.

"Don't mind her," M said to Fanny. "Come on. We have a lot of catching up to do."

As much as Cora wanted to follow Fanny and M, she needed to help Nixie, who was not at all pleased by the return of the girl. She told M she would catch up with them later and ran towards Nixie, who waited in line to order a coffee.

"What was that all about?" Cora asked. "That girl. It looked like she wanted to reconcile with you and M?"

"Like I told you, she used to be my best friend. I wouldn't have known M if it wasn't for her. We grew up together — the three of us. But as soon as we got to our senior year of High School, she started to change drastically. We saw Fanny hanging out with a strange and upbeat crowd. I mean, I did too; I'm not claiming I'm a saint by any standard, but I can handle myself. She, on the other hand, is a mindless sheep chasing the cool kids. M started to worry about her. She was hanging out at nightclubs every weekend; fell behind in her work and stuff. She started drinking hard stuff and posting it on her MyBinder page. M knew that girl his whole life. It hurt him seeing her go with people who acted so stupid. She would always try to convince us that she wasn't a girl like that." She shrugged. "So what the fuck were we seeing, huh?"

"Right."

"And it gets worse. At the end of the year, all the A/B students in school were whisked away to the Tropical Kingdoms to celebrate making it to the end of high school. M, Fanny, and I were supposed to be in our own group. Well, she didn't join us. She went with her other friends to a different area of the city and partook in behavior that would make your skin crawl. That was the end for us. Once we docked back home, I told her to fuck off and to never contact me again. M didn't want to see her again, either, but..."

She sighed again. "But being the big-hearted lummox that he is, he still made contact with her. I said it was fine so long as he didn't get me involved with her anymore. Then, we're off to our colleges. Fanny grew more and more distant. It got worse as she transferred to a school in the Citrus Islands. She started telling M not to speak to her for long periods of time."

"Why, though?"

"Her Dueling career started picking up. She needed to practice a lot. And I mean a lot. It started getting out of hand. At first, she told him not to talk to her for a few days. Then it turned into two weeks. Then more and more excuses to keep distant started popping up. The straw that broke M's back was when she finished another Dueling exam. They hadn't talked in a week, and he was excited to hear from her. But…"

"Another exam came up, huh?"

"Yeah, and she wanted more space away from him. This time it was for six months!"

"Oh, Goddesses," Cora groaned. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"It wasn't friendship. Not if you can put someone you care about off like that. And so constantly, too. Anyways, M had enough. He felt like he was no longer wanted because she kept telling him to stay away from her so she can study. He told her off and blocked her. They haven't spoken again until now. She's got a lot of nerve coming up to us like this and wanting to be friends again like nothing happened."

"I have a feeling she's talking to you two to get close to me," said Cora. "Would she have approached you guys if I wasn't here?"

"Girl, I figured that out the moment she saw you. If she wants to make things up with M, I can't do anything to stop it. But don't get me involved is all I'm asking. Cora, keep an eye on her. Not for M's sake, but for hers. If she hurts my friend again, I'm going to fucking kill her."

"Duly noted," said Cora. "I'll have a little chat with her."

Cora went to go look for them and saw them in a Duel in a courtyard on the east wing. Interesting. She sat down on a nearby bench and watched them team-up against two players who were bored and wanted to kill some time. Fanny had an Agent Deck, summoning cosmic angels into battle, a fitting companion to M's Lightsworns. The fact that his Lightsworns had to discard cards from the top of his deck to stay out meant that Fanny had all the ammo she needed to use the effect of her ace monster, Master Hyperion, who could destroy a card on the field once per turn by banishing a Fairy from the Graveyard. Cora smiled, thinking that they were enjoying themselves very much.

M was able to summon Judgement the Dragon of Heaven to decimate their foes. The two young men asked if anyone else wanted to play and Jericho and Madeline were quick to join in.

"That was so great!" Fanny said, clinging to M's arm. "You learned so much since I last saw you."

"Well, you gotta thank my girl Cora for the skills I got," M laughed. "She taught me everything I know. Well, a little bit anyway."

"Ha, ha, ha," Cora said sarcastically. "I must admit, Fanny, your Agents are pretty cool. You're not so bad."

"Whatever it is that Nixie told you about me is all wrong," she said. "I just want to be friends with M. I made mistakes and I'm sorry."

"Aw, who cares?" M said with a laugh. "We're friends again, right?"

"Right," Fanny said with a nod. "Thank you so much. I knew I could count on you."

"Of course," said M. "And might I add that —"

"—Cora, I must say I'm quite ecstatic to meet you," Fanny said, brushing him off. "Would it be okay if I added you on my Binder page?"

"That's sweet and all, but I still have yet to get to know you."

"Why don't you and I get well acquainted with a Duel, then?"

So they did. In no time at all, Fanny was quick to summon her Master Hyperion. Cora retaliated by Xyz Summoning Hieratic Sun Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis. By removing an Xyz Material, Cora could discard any number of cards she wanted from her hand to destroy that many cards Fanny had. But she was a fast one, using a vast array of traps and effects to nullify Cora's Sun Dragon. Cora ended her turn, but the effect of her Ancient Stone of Legends activated after being sent to the Graveyard with Sun Dragon's effect. She was able to special summon from her Graveyard a Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"So you do have them!" Fanny said in wonder. "This...this is so amazing!"

"Thanks," Cora said. "I've got to admit, you're being very stubborn. I've tried everything I can to get rid of that Master Hyperion of yours. Looks like I've got to try even harder."

Fanny's turn. "Yes, perhaps you should. Impressed?"

"So far so good. But you've used up most of the cards in your hand. Not good, kiddo. I've got you in a vice."

"So you say, but wait till I use this card. Card of Sanctity that is. This lets us draw until we have six cards in our hands. Now, I'm fully loaded and ready to bring down the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

She could not. Cora proved to be a little stronger than that. On the eight turn of the Duel, she used Polymerization to fusion summon Blue-Eyes Alternative Ultimate Dragon and wiped her out. The blast shook the east wing. Those watching the match clapped and cheered for both Duelists for a job well done.

The blast knocked Fanny on her back. M quickly ran for her aid. "Fanny!" he cried. "Are you all right?" He helped pick her up. "Sorry about that. Cora can be a little rough."

Fanny merely patted his shoulder and walked towards Cora to shake her hand. "Thanks for the Duel."

Cora refused her offered hand. "I believe M was trying to help you."

Fanny looked back at M and smiled. "Oh, yes, thank you, M. I appreciate your concern."

"You have an odd way of showing it," said Cora.

"Hey, it's okay," said M. "After all, there has to be good sportsmanship after every match. Fanny, you want some hot cocoa?"

"Sure, thank you, M."

M nodded and turned to find a store to get the beverages. Cora, for M's sake, took Fanny's hand and gave her a quick and weak handshake. "So, just how long are you in town?"

"Well, I have to get back to the Citrus Islands to finish school. But once that's taken care of, I'll do my best to work something out with you guys."

"You should really work something out with M," Nixie said, coming towards them, still angry with Fanny's presence. "After all, he's the one who's happiest to see you."

"Please don't spoil things, Nixie. I want to make it up to him. I'm doing my best. Please, I don't want to fight."

"So far all you've done was grovel over Cora. M is going out of his way for you and you're giving him the shoulder like you always do. You're going to have to try a lot harder than you are, sweetheart." She left, not wanting to waste her time with Fanny.

"I have to agree with Nixie," said Cora. "Why didn't you accept M's help when he was going to help you up?"

"I did."

"After I told you to. Nixie informed me of what you did to him when he forgot your birthday and that was uncool. He patched things up with you again, you two promised things would be better for both of you. Instead, you tell him not to talk to you for a whole month because of an exam and then give him to cold shoulder because he made a mistake that could have been easily fixed had you just talked to him. You know he missed a lot of birthdays because he was working hard to see you?"

Fanny gulped. "I...I never...I didn't know."

"Of course, you didn't know. You decided to get angry and hurt him to get your revenge on him for missing it. Look, I get you want to be my friend, but I'm sorry to say I don't hang out with people who make choices like that. It's immature and it's really mean. My friends don't hurt each other."

"If I can prove to you that M means a great deal to me, will you think better of me, Cora?"

"So long as you're not doing it just to be on my good graces."

"Yes, yes. I'll prove it to you. M is my friend. He always was. I know I've made mistakes and I made the first step to try fixing them by coming to him and wanting to patch things up between us."

"Would you have done that if I wasn't here?"

"Of course I would. I want to be both your friend and M's. And Nixie, too, if only she would let me."

"We'll see."

* * *

**Kasumi**

* * *

She waited for Jack to come back, but there was no sign of him anywhere. She had finished her coffee long ago, and the one she ordered for him was now standing by her side, cold. She heard laughing and giggling coming from below the balcony where she sat. Then, lights started to flash constantly like lightning. Kasumi leaned over to see what all the commotion was about. She shook her head slowly when she saw Jack surrounded by hordes of fangirls, crowding around him to get their picture taken with him.

"Asshole," Kasumi growled. She walked back to the bench and threw Jack's coffee cup away.

Just then, a couple came from down the hall. A young man and a girl, both dressed in sophisticated winter clothing and carrying wheeled suitcases. The young man was tall and had black hair, shaved at the sides with slicked lengths on the top. A square-shaped diamond glistened on his left ear, signifying he was rich. His eyes were a rich shade of jade mixed with gold. The girl walking beside him also had jet-black hair, which flowed down until it brushed against her backside. She sported a white coat, black leggings, and a pink scarf with gold blossom petals patterning the surface as if they were blowing in the wind.

The boy spotted Kasumi and waved his hand. "Kasumi!" he called out.

Kasumi's eyes went wide at the sight of him. She stood up from the bench and bowed. "Prince Jaeyoung!" she said. "Do-makara igo. Ubi-tono mikaba etoni?"

Prince Jaeyoung smiled and walked towards her, taking both her hands and kissing them, much to the chagrin of the girl behind him. "Shin dun hoo. Nakaba-tiyo metsu adeneho. Koboro meya?"

Kasumi nodded her head. "Da, da. Bon na hoo. Ebo. Muto-Yugi-enosaiba?"

"Oooh," he said, nodding his head. "Dokara no-hu. Hei, hei?"

Kasumi turned around and saw Cora and Fanny coming to join them. Fanny stopped where she was. She didn't know whether to bow or stay still. Princess Kasumi and Prince Jaeyoung in the same area as her. She would never have dreamed something like this to take place.

"Wow," Cora said in shock. "Prince Jaeyoung of the Termnnian Alliance. This is such an honor. Um…" She tried to remember the basic Uzumenese Kasumi taught her. " Doo maka-something. Uh. Do-makara...uh…"

Jaeyoung laughed. "I can speak Emboldorian." He spoke it very fluently and had no accent.

"Well, shit. Okay."

"So you're the famous Cora Kaiba I've heard so much about." He shook her hand. "I heard about your father. I hope he has a speedy recovery."

"Thank you. What brings you here to Rosenkruz."

"I came to speak with the headmistress about her unwise choise to cancel a program Kasumi relied on for school. Speaking of which, Kasumi doesn't stop talking about you. I believe you two were getting married, right?"

Cora looked at the princess. "You told him we were engaged?"

"No!" Kasumi said at once, her face flushing red. "I was talking about Jack, of course, you weren't listening to what I was saying, Jay."

"I know how to read," Jaeyoung said with a blank look on his face.

Kasumi folded her arms and stuck her nose in the air. "Well, you must have read it wrong. So there."

"Very well. Kasumi, I was hoping you had some time on your hands. Care for a match in the Dueling Fountain below?"

"You sure?" Kasumi said with an arrogant smirk, followed by a laugh. "After the way I trounced you last time?"

"I've improved much since last time we fought," he said. "Master Yugi taught me so much during his stay with us."

"Show me," she said.

Jayeoung and his friend, who was named Xiefang, his personal bodyguard, took an escalator to the lower levels of the east wing to a vacant arena to play. Jaeyoung undid his scarf and took off his coat. He wore all black underneath. A vest with a silver chain dangling from the pocket, a buttoned shirt, and tie. Xiefeng took his clothes and folded them neatly. She set them down on a nearby bench. Then he held his jade ring in front of her. Xiefeng smiled and kissed it. The kiss transformed his ring into a crescent-shaped Duel Disk made of jade and gold.

"Aww," Cora swooned. "How sweet."

"Fanny!" M said, coming towards the arena. "There you are! I was looking all over for you. Here, I've got your hot cocoa."

"Oh, thank you," she said, taking the drink. She gave it one long, sip. That would be last she would drink of it.

"Ah, what's going on here?" he asked.

"That's Prince Jaeyoung going one-on-one with Princess Kasumi. Cora knows her apparently."

"So do I, she's my friend, too."

"Oh." She watched Kasumi draw her card to begin the game.

**LP 8000**

"Dakono-za!" she shouted. "Doro!" she drew her card. "I use the effect of Tenyi Dragon Adhara. Since I control no effect monsters, I can special summon it from my hand! Now, I'll use it to Link Summon, Warrior Monk of Tenyi! Now, I'll use the spell, Hollow Dragon Chakra to add a card to my deck. Are you following me, Jaeyoung? Or are you still the slow, spoiled prince I Dueled a long time ago."

Jaeyoung grinned. "Quite the trash talker, aren't you? Come on! If you want to see what I've got in store for you, then play your monsters."

"With pleasure, my prince. I use the effect of Tenyi Dragon Vishuda! Like before, I can special summon it if I have no effect monsters on the field. Now, I banish Tenyi Dragon Ajna to Special Summon, Tenyi Dragon Adhara. Speaking of which, I'll banish the one I have in the grave to add Ajna back to my hand. Now, I'll tune Vishuda and Adhara to Synchro Summon, Draco Berserker of the Tenyi!"

**ATK/3000 DEF/0**

Cora grimaced as Kasumi's ace showed himself through powerful display of fire and smoke. She still could not get the nightmare of having that thing eating her alive out of her mind. She would have won the Duel last time had it not been for that thing. But she was confident in herself that next time, it would be her Blue-Eyes prevailing over it.

"I now summon Tenyi Dragon Shthana. I'll use my dragon and Warrior of the Tenyi to Link Summon, Shaman of the Tenyi! And I am not through yet, Jaeyoung. Using my Shaman's effect, I special summon, Mare Mare!"

A sea horse monster surfaced from the ground as if it were made of water. It hovered over the field and snorted as it shook its head.

"Now, by reducing my Mare Mare's level by one, I can summon tokens! I will call on three of them. Now, I offer my tokens and my Mare Mare to Link Summon, Tenyi Dragon Sahasrara!"

The golden dragon was born from the magical energies of the four monsters. It hovered over the field and roared. Its body lit up the arena in a warm, radiant light.

**ATK/3000**

**Link-4**

"I end my turn."

"Wow, Kasumi's good," Cora breathed.

"She truly is a fine Duelist," Fanny agreed. "Let's see how this Prince Jaeyoung can handle things."

"Ha, he can't!" said M. "Pretty boy over there don't know what he's got himself into. Kasumi was the top-ranked Duelist in school. Whatever he can throw her way, she can handle it."

Fanny said nothing and continued to watch the match, while M grimaced at the sight of her ignoring him.

"All right, it's my turn," said Jaeyoung. "I'll show you what an apprentice of Master Yugi can do! Your Tenyi will tremble at the might of my Senka warriors! First, I use the effect of my Senka Justice Guan Yun!"

"You will not! Draco Berserker of the Tenyi's effect activates! I will banish your card."

Draco Berseker made hand symbols. Then, Jaeyoung's card burst into flames and was gone (Actually, it was sent to a compartment in his Duel Disk for banished monsters).

"Very well. But you're going to have to do more than that to stop me, Kasumi. I use Pot of Greed and draw two cards. Now, I summon Senka Adonis -Zhou Gong!"

He summoned a warrior in armor designed to look like a swan. Zhou Gong landed gracefully by Jaeyoung's side.

"Next, I use Fire Formation - Tenki! This will add a level four or lower beast monster to my hand. And, all beast monsters will have their attacks increased by one hundred points. Zhou Gong's effect activates. I send Tenki away and add a spell to my hand. I will activate it! Senka Legend - The Sun-Liu Alliance. Then, Senka Legend - Oath Sworn by the Three!"

Kasumi saw her chance to activate an effect. "I will use Sahasrara to add a token to my side of the field with attack points equal to your Senka warrior's attack points."

"If you think that will help," said Jaeyoung. "Now, Zhou Gong! Attack her token!"

"I activate the effect of my Shaman and destroy your Oath card!"

"Good!" said Jaeyoung. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist. When Oath Sworn by the Three is destroyed, I can special summon Senka Justice Guan Yu and Senka Herald Zhang Yuan!"

"Oh no!" Kasumi gasped.

"This does not bode well for her," said Fanny. "Prince Jaeyoung is doing exceptionally well."

"Just watch," said M. "Kasumi knows what to do."

"Cora, can Kasumi win?" Fanny asked.

"Watch and figure it out," Cora said sternly, noticing Fanny took no heed to M. "Stop bothering me. I want to watch the match."

They all watched in awe as a green-armored warrior with a spear jumped from a green orb and took position next to Jaeyoung. Then, from a red orb, jumped a warrior in black and gold with a helm plumed in red.

Guan Yu stood strong at 2500 and Zhang Yuan with 2300. Kasumi didn't feel so cocky anymore, even with her two 3000 ATK monsters on her field. She braced herself, for she knew a storm of powerful effects was about to rock her world.

"And we are still in battle," said Jaeyoung. "So that means Zhang Yuan will reduce your token's attack by 1000!"

Zhang Yuan swung his brilliantly designed halberd, launching a blast of flames that smacked the token and weakened it..

"Now, Zhou Gong will finish his battle with your token and destroy him!"

Zhou Gong sliced the token in half with his blade and dealt 1000 points of damage to Kasumi's Life Points.

"With that taken care of, Zhang Yuan's secondary effect activates!" Jaeyoung announced. "Your Draco Berserker of the Tenyi is destroyed."

Now, Jaeyoung's warrior charged towards the monstrous behemoth. He jumped and swung his halberd, slicing the monster's head off.

"NO!" shouted Kasumi. "Oh, how? He was my best card."

"Finally," said Jaeyoung, "Guan Yu will rid the field of your Shaman!"

The attack lost Kasumi another 900 Life Points.

Kasumi 6100 LP

Jaeyoung 8000 LP

"Okay, you did get a little better, Jaeyoung. Still, this Duel has just begun. I still have a few more tricks up my sleeve. And remember, you've never beaten me in your whole life. I'm not about to let you end that streak now. I use Sahasrara's effect to make a token with your Guan Yu's attack points!"

"Then I will use the effect of my Sun-Liu Alliance card. My Senka monster's attack points will increase by 300 for each Senka on the field."

"That's a nine-hundred point boost!" Cora gasped.

"Oh, wow!" Fanny whispered. "The Prince is amazing!"

"I am not through!" shouted Kasumi. "I discard Ajna to summon Vishudda. Then I'll use it and the token I used to Link Summon another Tenyi Shaman! And I'll use her effect to discard a card and revive Draco Berserker of the Tenyi!"

"Not him again!" M shouted. "Wow!"

Draco Berserker attacked Zhou Gong, but he did not fall. He remained where he stood, but Prince Jaeyoung lost 500 points.

"Wait!" Kasumi cried out in shock. "What's going on here? Your monster wasn't destroyed."

"No, he wasn't," said Jaeyoung. "Thanks to Zhang Yuan, my Senka monsters cannot fall in battle."

"Fine, but you can still take damage! I'll attack with Sahasrara and deal another 500 points to you! Ugh! I end my turn."

"My turn. Per the effect of my alliance card, choose an attribute."

"I choose Light," Kasumi answered.

"Fine. Now, Alliance activates and my monster's attack with increase. Next —"

"Sahasrara will make another token!"

"Okay, fine with me. Guan Yu's will destroy it with his effect. That will trigger Zhang Yuan's effect and destroy your Berserker once again."

Kasumi was so confused. So many effects triggered at the same time. One by one, her monsters vanished and were gone, then Jaeyoung summoned one final Senka.

"Arise, Senka Chief Cao De!" He called on the master of his Senka monsters. With 3000 attack points, Cao De was a very formidable monster.

Kasumi could only watch as what was left of her Tenyi monsters and her Life Points were destroyed with one elegant onslaught.

"Wow," Kasumi breathed. "Normally people would tremble in fear with Draco Berserker comes out. But you...you remained so cool and calm." She shook his hand. "Master Yugi taught you well, Jaeyoung. You are indeed are a great asset to the Round Table of Rassay. Prince Yuri will be in good hands when he comes back."

"Thank you, Kasumi. It's always wonderful to see our rivalry blossom each time we play."

"Indeed. I'm going to have to step up my game if I'm to deal with you one day. I'd ask for a rematch, but it looks like you have somewhere to go."

"I must go to White Harbor where I will live until Yuri returns. I just came back from Akuuda, where my friends and I aided Prince Marcel in sending back the Naralian invaders, looking to take the Red-Eyes Black Dragons and kill them."

"Wait a minute," Cora said. "Did you just say, Red-Eyes Black Dragon?"

"You haven't heard of it?" Fanny asked.

"No. It's new to me. Is it anything like my Blue-Eyes?"

"Alone, no," said Jaeyoung. "But they've got support cards that will make your Blue-Eyes's tail curl in fear, so don't underestimate them if you encounter a Duelist who uses them. Prince Marcel is one of them. So is Ser Joey Wheeler and his sister Serenity. Princess Alexis's brother had them, but he was driven mad and vanished some time ago. Anyway, it was fun playing with you, Kasumi, but I must be on my way. Xiefeng. Koro-mo do teko, mey mo."

Xiefeng nodded and put on his coat and scarf. Everyone parted to let them leave.

"That was great fun," said Fanny. "You guys are all well-connected. It must be great to know royalty like Prince Jaeyoung."

"And Prince Michael," said Cora.

"Wow, him too?" Her phone beeped. "Excuse me."

"Uh, Fanny," said M.

"Hold on, M, I have to take this call."

"But… I was just wondering if you wanted another hot cocoa. You didn't finish yours and its cold."

"Oh, sorry. I was just so excited by the Duel that I forgot."

"Do you want another?"

"Yes, yes, That will be great. Thank you."

"Okay! Wait here, I'll be right back!" He hurried up the escalator and was gone from sight.

Fanny was speaking to a friend on the phone in her native language. She hung up moments later.

"Well, Cora. Kasumi. It was a real pleasure, but I have to get going. My bus is here. So, is there any chance I can exchange information with you?"

"I don't see why not," said Kasumi. She searched her coat for her phone, but Cora held her arm up to stop her.

"Hold on," she said. "You're leaving? Aren't you going to tell M first? Say goodbye?"

"I would, but I'm in a rush."

"He's buying you something to drink. The least you can do is tell him so he doesn't waste his money."

"Oh no, I'll make it up to him, I promise. Really."

"Fanny. If you walk out of M's life again. Don't you ever come back!" Nixie said, finally emerging from the dark corner of the arena where she watched the Duel. Fanny stood where she was without a word. Kasumi felt things were heating up and decided to leave.

"Have a seat, Fanny," Nixie said, pointing at the fountain.

Fanny sighed and did as she was told. She looked at Cora, who had her arms crossed and her face turning bright red. "So, you're going to go against me, too?"

Cora turned her back on her and folded her arms even tighter. "You have a lot of nerve doing something like this to him," she said.

"Indeed," said Nixie. "You know something, Fanny. M was doing just fine until you showed up. And you've tried hard for the past few hours to convince us that you've changed and to want to be friends again. But it seems to me you just used us to get to Cora."

Fanny twidled her thumbs and looked up. "Look we're still going to talk."

"Bullshit!" Nixie shouted. "M'Bakuuan is not some useless old shoe that you toss under the bed and put on when you feel you need it. He's your friend. He has a life. It goes on. You have to be there always. He's been there for you but you've never been there for him."

"Look that's enough!" shouted Fanny. "Do you think I wanted these problems? I didn't! Don't...don't villanize me! We had some fun when we were kids but I'm in school now and I need to study and..."

"CUT THE CRAP!" Nixie shouted, slicing her arms through the air. "JUST CUT THE CRAP, WILL YOU?"

"Why are you making me the bad guy here, huh? I can't study anymore? Do you want me to drop out of school to be with M or something? I don't know why you and M feel so threatened and so bothered because I go to college now."

Nixie stepped forward until she was face to face with her. "How. Dare. You!" she growled through her teeth. "Is that what you think we were, Fanny? We were threatened? Bothered? No, that's your overinflated ego talking, missy! You think you're the only one taking tests? I've been there. We all have been there. You're not the only one who goes to school Fanny. You're not the only one who has tests to study for. You're not the only Duelist in Termnnia that needs to practice. I've been hit with obstacles lots of times that have kept me busy and my time, limited. But I didn't walk out on my friends. I didn't tell them to fuck off for long periods of time and make them feel unwanted. No matter what came my way, I was always there for the people I love. Because THAT'S what a friend does!? Admit it. You never wanted to be his friend, didn't you?"

Fanny narrowed her eyes and breathed through her nose. "I have a bus to catch. Can you please let M know that I..."

"I'm not telling him anything," said Nixie.

"Fine. I have him on Dueling Network. I'll just let him know from there."

"Yeah, why don't you go do that! I made a huge mistake calling someone like you my friend, Fanny. The only thing good that came out of my relationship with you is that I met M. Get on your bus and get the hell out of here!"

"Whatever," Fanny said turning around to leave.

M came walking down to the arena with her cup of hot cocoa in hand. "Fanny! Where are you going, girl?" he laughed merrily. "I got your cocoa."

Fanny turned and gave an awkward chuckle. She nervously grasped the straps of her backpack. "Oh...M? I uh...I'm glad you showed up when you did. I have to head back to the Citrus Islands."

"Now?"

"Yeah, sorry. I've really got to run."

"Okay, sure. It was cool seeing you again. So uh, I'll send you a message tomorrow, huh?"

"Oh, not this week. See, there's this huge exam that's coming up in a few days and…."

"Oh no," M groaned.

"No, no. Hear me out. Please, you have to understand. I really need to study."

M's smile faded. "Okay? We can talk after the test." He let out an excited laugh. "We have so much catching up to do, girl."

"Oh, I'm sorry. But after that test, I've got another one. It's a very busy time We can catch up when I find some time."

M just stared at her and nodded. Cora could see the tears of hurt glistening in his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, that's fine."

Fanny smiled and laughed. She didn't seem to care that she was setting him aside again. The sight of that twisted Cora's stomach.

"Great," Fanny said. "So, when my schedule is a little cleared up I'll give you a text and..."

"When's that going to be?" Cora said sharply as Brandy and Amy walked towards them from the escalator with worried looks on their faces. "Next month? Next year? Next lifetime?"

Amy wanted to tell them class was about to start, but she chose to remain silent.

Fanny laughed. "No. I'm going to be very, very busy for a while but we'll still talk. It was great seeing you again M. I hope we can..."

"No," he said. He tossed her cocoa into a nearby trash bin.

Fanny's fake smile melted. "Huh?"

"Forget it! You think you were the only one stressed out with this friendship? You don't know what I've been through. You don't know how it feels like being sick with the anxiety and heartbreak that you caused me, putting me off like I was some worthless thing for you to waste time on until you had something better to do. That anxiety felt like being close to death. I couldn't eat. I couldn't focus on my Dueling. I didn't eat! It kept me up till late at night. I would just cry and stare at the ceiling wondering where the hell I stood in your priorities. Well, now I know. I realized the truth about how you felt about me the moment you ignored me for two months and bragged to Nixie that you would 'happily' remind everyone else if they forgot your birthday."

M took a deep breath and continued. "Fanny. If that's true and I meant so little to you, I wish you could have told me sooner so that I didn't have to work my ass off all winter trying to earn money for a train ticket to see you!"

Nixie stepped in. "And you want to know the worst part about this, Fanny? You made M make a fool of himself, causing him to think that he was the toxic one. There's nothing toxic about wanting to stay close to a friend. There's nothing toxic about trying to build a friendship. Or keeping one. You killed this relationship. Not him."

Fanny babbled, wondering what to say. "M...come on. That's not fair. Why can't you understand? I want to be your friend."

M lost it. "NO! Fanny!" He paused for a moment to collect himself. "Want! Want! Want! All you ever did was want! But you never did anything to BE my friend. There's a difference between wanting to be my friend and being my friend! I know now that you don't want to be my friend. No matter what I did to keep us close, all you did was drift us apart. No matter how happy I was and how content I was with our friendship, you always found ways to ruin it!"

He paced around, trying to control himself. "You made things worse for us and wrecked everything when I was so happy with how things were going. You knew I was happy that my little sister was born! And you turned your back on me anyway with your selfish and despicable actions! You promised me that we were going to move forward from our past mistakes. You said I was a good friend. You said that from then on we were going to talk about our problems. But no surprise, you went back on your word like you always do."

"Oh, sure. Boy, don't you just love making me the villain in this story. Well, I'm sorry if I want to study and do good in school."

"SHUT UP!" shouted Nixie. "Just shut up!"

M shook his head and sniffed sadly. "Nixie. You want to talk about studying hard? This brilliant girl studies day in and day out trying to be a paleontologist and a Duelist. She is needed at the museum after school and stays until late at night. But even in her busiest of times, she makes time to contact me. Even if it's just for a few minutes, she lets me know she's there. And if she can't talk during the day. I can always look forward to her saying goodnight to me. And telling me she loves me."

He moved to Brandy. "Brandy is one of the heirs to a multi-million gold franchise. One with a great history. She has to help make new recipes, attend business meetings, and study her ass off to be one of the sharpest students in school. And time and time again, she finds time to be with us. She finds time to laugh with me for a couple of minutes through text if we're too far away."

He then moved to Amy. "Amy. She's an assistant librarian in school. You can't imagine the constant rearranging and so on she has to do in there. She has to study for her WYVERN exams, a special test that could land her in the Senate. But she messages me to see how I am. She was with her boyfriend, helping him with computer problems, and writing a report for her class. But that didn't stop her from stopping by and giving me a hello."

He put an arm over Cora's shoulder. "And Cora. It seems like Seto Kaiba throws obstacle after obstacle to keep Cora from becoming a Kaiba. You won't believe the crap Cora had to go through to be the woman she is now. And on top of that, she studies hard to be a good Duelist and a student. She's one of the best students in school with a 4.0 GPA. She's heading for the Obelisk Blue Dorm. You're stuck trying to stay in Ra Yellow for Holsta's sake! She has a lot to do for herself, her father, and the family name. But you know what. It never stopped her from sending me a text or calling me out into town for an hour to have a cup of coffee. She does that because she's my friend. They make time for me because they're my friends. They study as much, if not more than you do. And they still find time in the day to let me know they're there. To make me feel loved. To prove that they're my friends."

Fanny looked at the floor and stood silent.

"I know you've been using us to get closer to Cora the whole time we were here. Well, sorry to say, you're not worthy enough to be her friend. We make time for each other. We're always there for each other through thick and thin. That's what being a friend is all about."

He sighed. "But you. My best friend. Sorry M, I can't talk for two days. Three days. A week. Two weeks. A Month! How long before you tell me you can't talk at all, huh? You never wanted to be my friend, did you? But if that's not true as you say it is, then prove it to me. Prove you're going to BE my friend."

Fanny was quiet. A stone-cold look implanted on her face. Not a tear glistened in her eye. "I...," she said nothing else and turned to walk away. "Well...Goodbye, M." Fanny disappeared into the crowd.

She was gone. This time forever.

"I'm sorry, M," Nixie said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

M laughed. "Naw, this ain't so bad. I can sell that ticket I bought to go visit her and make some good cash for Christmas."

Nixie sighed. "M, I'm sorry. Just let it out, my dude. It's okay to be mad."

"Pfft! Whatever. Don't worry about, it baby. I mean, why should I be upset? Huh. At least she said goodbye this time. Unlike the dozens of times when she left me hanging and ghosted me." He reached into his shopping bag, pulling out a necklace of diamond and gold. "I just wish I didn't waste my money buying her this STUPID friendship gift!"

"Don't feel bad, M," said Cora. "It's okay. Oh, Goddesses, if there was something I could do."

"You ain't gotta do nothing, Cora. Come on. I've done lots of stuff since she left. I learned how to drive without her. I got into Rosenkruz without her. I learned to Duel without her. And I developed some beast skills, huh?"

"You sure did," Cora agreed.

"Damn right," said Nixie. "You're one of the best in school now. I feel sorry for those Banner losers already."

M nodded, jabbing the air with his fists. "Yeah, yeah that's right. I learned a lot of things without her. I learned how to write books without her. I published my first book without her. I welcomed my new sister in the world without her. I survived the DEATH of my mother without her. She couldn't even unblock me for a day to give me her condolences. TO HELL WITH HER!"

Cora was glad the place was deserted. She and everyone else in the group started to cry. It pained her to see M so devastated. Hurting for a snake who wasn't worth the tears coming down his cheeks.

"This ain't no stupid present," M said holding up the necklace. He put it around Nixie's neck. "It was going to the wrong person."

Nixie sobbed. "M..."

M placed his hands on her cheeks and rubbed her tears away with his thumbs. He leaned his head forward and kissed her. She playfully patted and squeezed her buttocks, causing her to laugh.

"See, I can be happy without out her. Who needs her? I didn't need her when she was around. I don't need her now. You know what girls? I'm going to Duelist Academy without her. I'm going to be an Obelisk Blue without her. And I'm going to make a ton of new friends. I'm going to be there for them just like you guys are always there for me. And I sure as fucking hell know that I don't need Fanny for that because there ain't a damn thing that girl can ever teach me about being there for my friends. There's nothing she can ever teach me about love!"

"Some friendships just weren't meant to be," Cora said sadly.

M didn't like the sound of that at all. He looked like he was ready to burst. The girls crowded around him. M's lips trembled. He started heaving sorrowfully.

"I wanted this one to go on. But she...how come she doesn't want me? What did I do wrong, man? I thought she was...my friend."

Nixie embraced him and held him close, letting him sob on her neck. Cora and the others joined in to give him a loving hug, in seconds filling him with a warmth that Fanny could never give him in three years.


	31. The Barrel Dragon on Her Hip

**Cora**

* * *

"What do you mean they're going to evict you?" Cora almost yelled into the phone. Krissa was on the other line and she was sounding frantic.

"Did I stutter?" Krissa called back. "Did I speak Uzumenese? Cora, now that your father's accounts have been frozen, the tower can't get the rent that's needed. It was due a few days ago."

"Oh, this is just perfect!" Cora shouted, kicking the nearby trash bin. "Don't worry, baby, we'll figure something out."

She heard Krissa scoff. "Cora, please, you have to stop calling me that. I don't know how I feel about it."

"Are you serious? I've stuck my neck out for you! I bought you a nice place to live, at my expense, no less; and you're going to sit there and tell me you don't know what to feel? How many times do I have to kiss you and help you for you to finally open up and tell me what's wrong, huh?"

"Cora, I appreciate all you've done, but I didn't leave the temple wanting to find a relationship."

"So you've been playing me this whole time? All those kisses, those gifts I bought you, all that time we spent together. It was nothing."

"You never asked! You just planted a kiss on me after you saw the power of my Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon. I was confused because I wasn't expecting anything like that. I wanted to give it a try, and don't get me wrong, you're a beautiful and wonderful person. Not a lot of people are willing to do what you've done for me, but...Oh, I just don't know. Look, I'll understand if you don't want to see me again."

Cora sighed. "Look, I'm pissed off that you haven't been real with me, Krissa. But I don't want to kick you out in the streets. Despite it all, I want things to work between us. I really care a lot about you."

"Why?"

Cora growled. "I don't know. The moment I saw you back in the library it was just...I don't know. I told you already. I couldn't help it. You're one-of-a-kind. You're a bit of a mystery, but I find you amazing. I see you as someone I want to be with my whole life. What do I have to do to make you see that as well, baby?"

"I don't know, Cora. But I know I don't want to continue being a burden for you."

"You're not a burden to me, Krissa!" Cora said, stamping back and forth in front of the academy fountain. "I'm willing to do anything for you. ANYTHING!"

Krissa sniffled. "I understand. What do you plan to do about the house?"

"I'll figure something out. When I do, I hope we can finally work something out. I...I don't want to lose you."

"And neither do I. Have your classes ended?"

"Yeah. Winter break has begun, so we have two weeks to come up with the money to pay for the place. I have to admit, with our without your decision, I want to keep it. My friends find it a nice place to hang out. It's like a central hub."

"I understand. It's fun having them around. Cora, don't work yourself too hard. Okay? I have to get back to work. My break is over."

"All right. See you later. I love you."

Click.

"Hmph." She hung up the phone and put it back in her backpack.

Cora sat down and took out her deck. She looked at the Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon who rested at the bottom. "You're lucky you don't have to deal with human problems, Max. You just hang out in that card and chill until I summon you. Sometimes, I wish I could be like you, you know. Just...just flying around, going anywhere I please and causing destruction to anything and everything. Do you have any idea what Krissa is up to? What about me? What am I? Why am I so important that you and your kind would force my father to make more cards just for me?"

"Are you talking to your card?" someone asked.

Krissa turned around and saw a blonde Eldori girl looking at her. She looked...awfully familiar. Cora turned her head and gave the girl a puzzled look. "Uh...do I...know you?"

The blonde girl blinked and shook her head. "Can't say that you do," she said. "I've only been here for a short time. I took four-week courses. Why do you say that?"

"I don't know," Cora said, standing up to get a better look at the girl. She stared into her blue eyes. "I swear to the Goddesses, you look awfully familiar."

The girl chuckled. "Well, I get that a lot. There are some who think I'm the Dark Magician Girl."

Cora snapped her fingers. "That's right! You DO look just like her! Trade your academy uniform for her pink skirt and blue hat, and wham-O you're her. What's your name?"

"Mana," the girl extended her hand. Cora shook it.

"It's nice to meet you, Mana. I'm Cora. Cora Kaiba." Her smile drooped sadly. "Well, for now anyway."

"So you're the famous Cora Kaiba. I heard about what happened to your father, I'm so sorry. I do hope he gets better. So, um, do you have problems at home?"

Cora shrugged. "Yeah. Big problems. I need to find a way to make some money to keep the condo I got from my girl...my friend. If she doesn't pay up soon, she's going to be evicted."

Mana tapped her bottom lip with her finger. "Oh, dear. That sounds like quite a pickle. You know, I did hear something about an event being held by Zane Truesdale out at sea."

"Zane? No way! What's going on?"

"He calls it The Dueling Revolution at Sea. It's a festival on Prince Michael's private superyacht. There's going to be food, music, games, and, of course, Dueling. He's trying to get a great set of match cards for the night leading to the main event, which is going to be him versus Prince Colvis for the TDF Championship. I hope Zane wins. That Clovis is such a jerk."

"Don't you know it, honey. I've had so many dealings with him. But thanks to my girl, Kasumi, he's not going to be using his family jewels ever again."

"Good. You know, I'm sure Zane would want you in his match card. There's still plenty of space left for Duelists. All you've got to do is sign up. It should be easy. I think I have a flyer in here somewhere." She reached for her backpack and then handed Cora the flyer.

"Thank you," Cora said. "Wow, all participants of the games get 500,000 gold coins and 100 Star Chips. Oh my goodness! This could keep us in the suite for years! Mana how can I ever –" She looked up. Mana was gone.

* * *

Cora hurried out of school and drove to the pier to find the registration desk that was in front of the dock where the cruise ship was. But she found getting into the event was not going to be easy.

"You're not getting in! Period!" the stout guard shouted at Cora.

"I have to participate in this event!" Cora shouted back. "I have to! You need good Duelists, don't you. Well, I'm a Kaiba!"

The guard scoffed. "That name may mean something back in that fancy pants school you go to, but here in the big leagues, you're nothing. No one but the best Duelists can get into Zane and Prince Michael's event."

Miraculously, who else but Zane Truesdale came walking to her rescue. "Did you not hear what her name was, Shane?" Zane asked sternly. "Your hate for the academy shows no bounds."

"Hate for Rosenkruz?" Cora asked.

"Yeah. He hates the place because they denied his entry into the school. Honestly, Shane, she's one of the school's best Duelists. Which is more than I can say for you."

"Sorry, sir. But you said Duelists need strict qualifications in order to join the match card."

"Yes I did," said Zane. "And there is one way she can get it. Tell me, Cora. Have you heard of Murmo the Slug?"

"Murmo the Slug?"

"Yeah, he's a Sloager. One of those weird toad people from across the sea. And a fully grown one at that. He runs the casinos up in Tarvelon Square. He likes to challenge Duelists with a gauntlet match. Then, you've got to be his champion. Are you up to the challenge?"

"Yes," Cora said at once. "I'm not scared. Just point me out to where this Murmo guy is, and I'll take whatever challenge he throws at me."

The guard pointed behind them. "Keep heading straight down that way until you see a big, red, tower with pink neon and giant dice on the top. He'll be there. It's ladies' night."

"I'll go join her," said Zane. "Lots of rowdy folk in there who would take advantage of you, Cora. Murmo's club is known to attract some pretty terrible people."

Zane walked Cora to the Sloager's club. Needless to say, it was very easy for him to get through the bouncers. Being the Steward of Eredas had its perks, much to Cora's joy. Once they stepped through the doors, their ears were bombarded with loud dance music and flashing lights and lasers caused them to squint more than once. Cora spotted him at last, then again, he wasn't easy to miss.

Murmo the Slug was over twenty-feet tall. He was a mountain of gray, smelly, bumpy flesh. He had four arms and a very long tail. He was smoking from a tall hookah and watched as people attended his club.

"Be careful, Cora," Zane whispered into her ear. "His players are some of the best in town. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I have to," said Cora. "I must. Someone I care about is depending on me."

"If you say so."

They walked towards his throne and were stopped by two Leogai guards who stepped down from their posts and aimed their rifles at the group.

"Go-bo!" Murmo said, holding up his arm. "Stand down. Pretty one wants to talk to me. I'm listening. Who are you?"

"I'm Cora Kaiba and I —"

"—Kaiba!" shouted the Sloager. "_Soba gumpa grenmu_. He has a daughter after all. Curious, I am. What brings you here to my domain, Cora Kaiba?"

"I wish to challenge your gauntlet."

"Ah, good. It's not often we get challengers in my gauntlet. Very well, Cora. I'll see to it that the Duelists are ready to play. You should be ready to. You can't play looking like that. You're going to need your legendary gauntlet armor!"

Cora grinned. "Legendary gauntlet armor, huh? Sounds good to me. Where do I go?"

"My men will lead you to the powder room where you can freshen up and put on your armor. Then follow the lights on the floor to your position."

Cora nodded and looked at Zane. "Thanks for giving me a chance to prove myself, Zane."

"Well, Prince Michael told me a lot about you. He says you're a good Duelist. And honestly, I've got to be a complete fool to deny a daughter of House Kaiba into my event. But, I'd like to see your skills for myself. If you can win the gauntlet and beat Murmo's champion, you've got yourself a match on the cruise. And please, do bring your friends along, too."

"Thank you so much!" She looked at Murmo. "Okay. I'm ready."

"HA! HA!" the giant slug creature shouted. Murmo clapped his hands and ordered everyone off the main dance floor. The words GAUNTLET flashed on the screens all over the casino. Everyone rushed around the floor to see the challenge take place. Zane got a front-row view of the field. All he had to do now was wait for the Duelists to come out.

Murmo picked up a microphone from his hooka and announced the first Duelist of the Gauntlet. And then, he announced Cora. When she walked out, fireworks exploded near the entrance ramp, followed by two sprinklers. Then, there was a chorus of whistles and hoots and clapping.

"Oh, Goddesses," Zane groaned.

Cora's legendary gauntlet armor was nothing more than a glittery bunny suit complete with ears and a fluffy cottontail. The leotard was colored baby blue, as were her ears and high-heels. Her hair was tied into a ponytail with a white bow. Every time Cora moved, the suite shimmered like a thousand jewels. Cameras flashed all over the casino as people flocked to get a good view of Seto Kaiba's daughter in the outfit. As she approached the Dueling Arena, she saw Zane and gave him a very poisonous stare.

"THIS is armor!" she cried out.

"Cora," a spectator jeered. "Wow! Nice suit. It shows off your goodies."

Cora started to panic when she heard that. She examined herself from front to back. "Are you sure? I mean, it's not too revealing, is it?"

"That toad truly knows nothing of honor," Zane mumbled. He cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted: "Cora! Duel and you can get out of that thing quickly," he urged her on. "Come on. I know you can win this."

"I'm going to kill you for this, Krissa," Cora murmured as she got into position on her side of the field.

"Is the little princess ready?" sneered Cora's first opponent. "Heh, heh, heh. You're a cute one. Don't think I'll go easy on ya. I summon Superheavy Samurai Flutist, and tribute him for Superheavy Samurai Battle Battle and then summon Superheavy Samurai Big Waraji! Now, I will sync up my monsters for Superheavy Samurai Stealth Ninja! And from my hand, I'll equip the monster, Superheavy Samurai Soulbang Cannon to increase my Stealth Ninja's defense to 3800! Let's see you get past that, little bunny. Not even your Blue-Eyes can match up to that powerful defense."

"No wonder you're the first loser in this gauntlet!" Cora yelled as she drew her first card. "I play the spell card, Bingo Machine! Go! Which lets me add a Blue-Eyes card to my hand. Then, I use The Melody of Awakening Dragon. I discard a card and add two dragons with 3000 or more attack and 2500 or less defense. Now, I activate the card I discarded. White Stone of Legends. When it gets sent to the Graveyard, I can add a Blue-Eyes to my hand."

"So what!" sneered the first opponent. "Everybody knows the Blue-Eyes White Dragon has only 3000 attack points. It still won't be enough to take down my Superheavy Samurai."

"You sure are confident in your Stealth Ninja, huh? Well, too bad for you. I reveal a Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand, which allows me to special summon Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon. Come on out, baby!"

She slapped the card onto her Duel Disk. The cybernetic Blue-Eyes flew out of a portal in serpent-like angulations and then it screeched, causing the opponent to cover his ears.

Her opponent sneered confidently. "Your dragon is cool-looking, but he won't beat my…"

"Just put a sock in it. I can add, moron. And I'm not done yet. My Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon's effect...ugh, hang on." She bent forward and started adjusting the backside of her outfit. "Oh, fuck me! This thing rides far up into my butt!"

Murmo laughed and blew out a cloud of pink mist from his mouth. "Is it comfortable, my dear."

"You're one to talk, toad face! I'd like to see you Duel in this stupid costume you perverted pig!"

"Don't piss him off!" shouted Zane. "He'll disqualify you for making fun of him."

"I know, I know," said Cora, sighing in defeat. "Anyways, back to the Duel. Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon pops your Superheavy Samurai! Go, Blue-Eyes! Destroy that thing with Blue Lightning!" She paused. "Who the fuck comes up with these names?"

Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon fired its laser attack at the Superheavy Samurai and blew it up, leaving the poor fellow wide open for an attack. He searched the card database for Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon and smiled.

"AHA!" he shouted. "When your Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon uses his special ability, it drains him of his energy for the whole turn. Your dragon has to recharge so it can't attack me."

"You poor, poor, bastard," Cora sighed. "I use Polymerization, fusing my Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon with two Blue-Eyes White Dragons in my hand. Come on out Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

The crowd cheered and whooped when the new form of the legendary Ultimate Dragon arrived and gave a thunderous roar that shook the foundation of the casino. The DJ started playing more intense music as the dragon stood behind Cora and snarled.

All three heads looked down at her and gave her a stare that made it look like they were asking: "What on earth are you wearing?"

Cora folded her arms and tapped her foot on the ground impatiently. "Look, guys, this is the last thing I'd wear when calling you out, I swear. Just finish him off, and we can go about on our merry way. Okay. And stop looking at me like that!"

Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon attacked the opponent directly. Then, Cora sent a Fusion monster from her Extra Deck to the Graveyard to allow her dragon to attack again, ending him in one turn.

"Noooo!" he wailed, going on his knees. He slammed his fists on the ground. "No! No! No! I didn't even get to pull off my super sweet combo!"

Murmo ordered him to leave at once, then clapped his hands. "Chupu!" he called. Meaning next.

Cora shuffled her deck waiting for the next opponent. He walked towards the arena, slicking back his blue hair. "You may have gotten past that guy, but there's no way you can beat me and my Flaming Cyberse deck!"

"Oh, goodie," Cora said sarcastically. "I'm quivering in fear already. Since I won the last Duel, I'll start first. I summon Sage with Eyes of Blue!"

She conjured a white-haired magic-user wearing brilliant armored blue robes with gold plating and indigo sashes flapping behind him. He spun his staff and stood in front of Cora.

"I'll use my Sage's effect to add a card to my hand. Next, I play The Melody of Awakening Dragon to discard a card and add two powerful dragons to my hand. I reveal Blue-Eyes to summon a handsome fellow who just hates to say goodbye. Blue-Eyes Alternative Dragon! Now, I use Trade-In, discarding the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand to draw two cards. Next, I will synch up my Sage with Alternative White Dragon and summon the mighty Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon."

Every time she summoned that dragon, Cora couldn't help but stop talking for a little while and watched as it came to the field, illuminating everything around it with a bright, white light. Without that dragon, she wouldn't be where she was today. True, the situation could have been better, but it was far better than wandering the roads alone, scrapping for bits of food and sleeping under bridges.

"Thank you," she whispered at the dragon. "I end my turn," she said softly to her opponent.

"Your dragon is impressive, Cora. But he won't be around for long. From my hand, I use the trap card, Infinite Impermanence. Yeah, I just activated a trap from my hand. You know why?"

"Because you control no cards," Cora replied with a roll of her eyes. "Dude, I know what the cards do. But I will use my dragon's effect and —"

"Not so fast, Cora! My Call to the Grave Card will negate its effect and banish it."

When her dragon was gone, the second opponent summoned Salamagreat Spinny, Foxy, and Fowler and attacked Cora directly with each one, bringing her Life Points down to 3700. After that, he ended his turn after using his monsters to Link Summon Salamangreat Baleyx and Xyz Summon Salamagreat Mirage Stallio who stood with 2000 ATK points. He then Link Summoned another Balelynx using his first one then activated the Field Spell, Salamangreat Sanctuary and set two cards face-down.

"My turn," Cora declared. "I play The Melody of Awakening Dragon and add two dragons to my hand. Next, I reveal a Blue-Eyes White Dragon —"

—That's it, sneered the opponent.

"— to Special Summon my Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon."

"You activated my Trap Card, bitch! Crackdown!"

"Oh no!"

"That's right. It lets me take control of your Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon."

Cora's dragon went limp and the lights on its body seemed to turn off. It then hovered to the opponent's board and stood there limp as a stick. "Fine!" said Cora. "But don't think you'll be enjoying him for long. I use Trade-In, discarding a Level Eight monster to draw two cards. Now, I'll use the magic of Dragon's Mirror!"

A giant golden mirror crafted to resemble a winged dragon formed behind Cora.

"What are you going to do with that? Fix your hair or something?" sneered the opponent.

"Laugh it up, you creep. I banish Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon and two Blue-Eyes White Dragons to summon Blue-Eyes Alternative Ultimate Dragon!"

"Another one!" cried the opponent.

The strange orb-studded beast flew out of the Dragon's Mirror and stomped the ground behind Cora. It flapped its four purple wings and the orbs on its body started glowing brightly.

Since Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon was used to summon the Ultimate Dragon, Cora used her monster's special ability to destroy three cards on the field. She only targeted two, destroying the opponent's face-down card and his Crackdown trap; thereby releasing her Alternative White Dragon. Her dragon had to recharge for using its special ability, so it could not attack this turn. But Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon could, and he destroyed the Mirage Stallio.

"I end my turn."

So did the opponent. There was not much for him to do but play defensive.

"My turn," said Cora. "I play Raigeki!" A lightning storm was summoned and it destroyed his only monsters. He was wide open. "Now, I'll Summon Protector with Eyes of Blue, and tribute him to special summon, Dragon Spirit of White. With this attack, I end the Duel!"

"NOOOOO!"

All three of Cora's monsters blasted the poor man, sending him flying towards a buffet table and smashing into it.

"Round two complete!" said Murmo. "Another opponent!"

Cora had to Duel ten different people all through the night. Because of this, everyone got to see every Blue-Eyes Cora had in her deck.

Finally, it was time for the grand champion to face Cora.

"Presenting!" Murmo shouted. "The grand champion of the Murmoklub Casino and Resort. Our Lady of the Six Blasters: Penny!"

Confetti shot out from tubes surrounding an opening on the floor and sprinklers lit up the arena. Fireworks burst as the grand champion rose out from the floor via elevator. It was a young lady in a dark blue bikini top with glowing white stars, stonewashed denim cutoffs with jeweled stars sewn into the back pockets, brown boots, and a cowgirl hat. She took her gloves out of her back pocket and slipped them off. She tossed some of her sunny blonde hair over her shoulder and waved to the crowd. Her skin was bronzed and marked with tan lines from her constant sunbathing on the beaches of Red Diamond City.

When Penny saw Cora, she tipped her hat towards her as a sign of respect.

"So, you're Cora Kaiba. I've heard so much about you, girl. Rose through the ranks and exceeded everyone's expectations. Even yer daddy's. I've got to say, I've been looking forward to this."

Cora smiled. "Hmm. You're the grand champion of the casino, huh? You seem so sure about this. You weren't scared I was going to lose or something?"

"Naw, no way, hon. You got skills. And those losers in Murmo's gauntlet can't play fer shit."

"I've noticed," Cora said, followed by an overconfident chuckle.

Penny laughed back. "Yeah. Scrubs, each and every one of 'em. I had a feeling you and I were going to meet tonight. And you sure as hell don't disappoint. Yer Blue-Eyes White Dragons are real beauts. Mind if I give them a try?"

"Not like I have much of a choice. Come on!"

"Yes. Let's get this started, huh?" She activated her gunmetal Duel Disk, which spun like a saw until it formed into the blade to play her cards.

"Indeed," said Cora. "And according to the rules, I go first. I reveal a Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand and summon Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon to the field!"

"Damn, already?"

Cora waited for her Blue-Eyes to stop flying and land beside her. "That's right. Now, I lay a card face-down and end my turn."

"Not bad. We're on our first turn and yer already summoning Blue-Eyes. But that won't do ya any good. I play the Spell Card, Second Coin Toss. Now, I can change the outcomes of coin flip effects, giving me more chances to win. Next, I'm summoning Twin Barrel Dragon."

She slapped the card down and summoned a mechanical blue beast with two cannons for a snout. The lights reflected on its shiny metal coat. It wagged its chrome-colored tail left and right, eager for Penny to activate its effect.

"All right, Cora, as pretty as your dragon is, I'm afraid he ain't gonna stay fer long. Too bad. He sure is a handsome fella. Twin Barrel Dragon's effect activates. When he's summoned, I can toss a coin twice. And if the results are heads, I can target your monster and destroy it."

She took a gold coin out of her back pocket. She kissed it for luck and flipped it into the air with her thumb. She held out her palm to catch it, then slapped the coin on the back of her other hand. "Heads!" she cheered. "All right, one more flip."

She tossed the coin and caught it. Tails.

"COCK!" Penny shouted.

"Too bad," jeered Cora. "My Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon is going nowhere."

"Don't celebrate just yet, girl," Penny said pointing to her spell. "Remember my Second Coin Toss card?"

Cora's smile faded. "Oh, fuck."

Twin Barrel Dragon aimed and fired, blasting Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon's head off. Cora watched in horror as the headless body waddled around and fell flat on its back before shattering.

"Two can play at that game!" shouted Cora. "I activate my face-down card. Offerings to the Doomed. Now, your Twin Barrel Dragon is no more."

Twin Barrel Dragon felt its systems getting fried by a strange, macabre, magical energy. Then it exploded, but Penny smiled, not at all upset that her monster was destroyed. "Why thank you, Cora. Because you destroyed a DARK machine monster, I can summon this bad boy from my hand. I summon, Desperado Barrel Dragon!"

"Uh oh," Cora said when an even bigger dragon took the place of the one she destroyed. He was massive, standing almost thirty-feet tall. The technology in the dragon whirred as it moved around.

"Yeehaw!" Penny cheered. "Let's go, Desperado Barrel Dragon! Attack Cora directly!"

The dragon fired from all three of its cannons and sent Cora flying backward a couple of feet before she smacked her back hard on the ground. Her Life Points were reduced to 5200.

"Nice try, Cora. That was a very nice try. Now, to finish things off I use the effect of my Heavy Metal Raiders card. I would have used it sooner, but I was so excited to introduce you to my Desperado Barrel Dragon. Isn't he cool!"

Cora smiled. "He's one sexy beast. Wanna trade for him?"

Penny laughed. "Unless one of yer Blue-Eyes is up for grabs, no thanks. My pawpaw got me this card for my sweet sixteen. It's special to me. Now, on to my field spell. Remember when Twin Barrel Dragon destroyed your Blue-Eyes?"

"How can I forget?"

"Well, thanks to Heavy Metal Raiders, whenever a DARK machine monster takes down one of yers via battle or card effect, I can special summon a Dark machine monster from my hand. Cora, my darlin', say hello to the original Barrel Dragon!"

The Barrel Dragon she summoned was an older model, but still very powerful. It stomped onto the field and let out a low, metallic, hum, Since it was still Penny's battle phase, she attacked, dealing 2600 damage. Cora flipped head-over-heels through the air and smacked the ground again.

Her Life Points plummeted to 2600.

Penny laughed. She turned and smacked her butt to taunt Cora. "Uh-oh. Yer Life Points don't look so good, hon."

Cora grunted as she tried to stand up. "Ow, my aching back. Phew, nice shot. And as a penalty for using my Offerings to the Doomed, I cannot conduct my draw phase. But I've still got plenty of stuff in my hand I can use to still take you down. First off, I play Ancient Rules! This spell card allows me to summon a high-level Normal monster without tribute. Here comes Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

"Aw, krud," Penny grumbled when the dragon hovered over Cora.

"Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Cora shouted. "Attack her Desperado Barrel Dragon! White Lightning!"

Blue-Eyes charged its attack and then fired it with all its mighty. It was a direct hit, but Desperado Barrel Dragon didn't move.

"What's going on!" Zane shouted. "That attack hit Penny's dragon head-on."

Penny laughed. "Judging by that deer in the headlights look you got, you have no clue what just happened. Well, lemme explain it to you. It's the effect of my Heavy Metal Raiders. This baby is one powerful spell card. Once, if my DARK machine monsters are battled, they are not destroyed."

Cora whistled. "Wow. That's some serious firepower."

"It gets worse," Penny continued. "The damage I took from that battle gets added to my Desperado Barrel Dragon. Let's see. I took two-hundred points of damage so my dragon's attack increases to three-hundred."

"This isn't good," Zane thought. "If Cora takes one more hit, she's done for."

Cora sighed. I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"Well, Cora, it was fun, but it looks like I've got to end this. Hey, don't feel bad, working here ain't all that bad."

"Just go," Cora said.

"All right, if y'all insist. I think I want to end this with a direct-on assault. So, I'll use Barrel Dragon's effect to target your Blue-Eyes White Dragon with his effect. Let's see those coins, baby! Yeehaw! Two heads. Say goodbye to your beast!"

Barrel Dragon fired but Blue-Eyes was suddenly protected by two large, white-feathered wings.

"What is that!" Penny shouted.

Nephele the Dragon of Hope opened her mouth, the arcane aegis on her back spun and she fired a blue laser at Barrel Dragon and destroyed it. Also, Cora's Life Points increased back to 5200.

"I've never seen that card before, Cora," said Penny. "What just happened?"

"She's Nephele the Dragon of Hope," Cora said with a sigh of relief. "When you target a Dragon monster with a monster effect or battle, Nephele will protect my dragon and destroy the opposing monster. Also, my Life Points will increase by that monster's effect. My dragons and I will continue to have her protection until the end of the turn."

"Well, I ain't gonna give you any more Life Points, so I'll just end my turn."

"Oooo," said Murmo. "Good card. Me want it."

Cora looked at the Sloager and shook her head. "Sorry, frog-face, but she's not for sale. My turn." Cora sighed a breath of relief. "I use Card of Sanctity. Now we both draw until we have six cards in our hands. Next, Pot of Greed for an extra two cards. All right, Penny. It's a whole new game now. I use Polymerization, fusing together my two Blue-Eyes White Dragons with Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon into Blue-Eyes Alternative Ultimate Dragon!"

Penny grew nervous when she saw the mighty beast looming over her. Its neon washed the arena in white-blue light. "Aw, heck!"

Back and forth they both went. Penny summoned a synchro monster called Vermillion Dragon Mech who destroyed her Ultimate Dragon. The crowd held their breath as Cora and Penny countered each other's moves and summoned more dragons. Finally, Penny made a grave mistake fusion summoning Gatling Dragon, which destroyed the Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon she summoned.

However, Cora had Deep-Eyes White Dragon in her hand and summoned it upon Twin Burst Dragon's destruction. Deep-Eyes gained Twin Burst's attack and inflicted 300 points of damage to Penny's Life Points. That was not good for Penny. Cora had a dozen dragons in there and the damage caused by Deep-Eyes reduced her Life Points to 0.

"Congratulations," Penny said, shaking Cora's hand. "Here. On behalf of Murmo the Slug, here's yer pass to the top tournament. He is now your sponsor. Well, done."

"Thank you," Cora said, finally dressed in normal clothes. "You were a great opponent, Penny."

Penny tipped her hat out of respect. "You, too, Cora. I hope we can Duel again soon. Until then, take care."

Once Cora was finally free of the bunny outfit, she met with Zane outside the casino.

"Good job, Cora. You are true to your reputation. I've got to say, I can't wait for the day that I get to Duel you."

"Thank you," said Cora, taking a ticket from Zane, which allowed her entry into the cruise. "You said my friends will get some, too?"

"Yes. Just tell me how many are coming and I can arrange something for you guys. Cora, you did good. Nothing pleases me more than a good Duel. And you played in more than a dozen tonight. Despite the odds, you pulled through and won the gauntlet. I certainly can't wait to see how you shake things up against your opponent at the Dueling Revolution at Sea. I have high hopes for you."

Zane turned and left to head back to the House of Gray. Meanwhile, Cora got in her car and drove home, eager to tell Krissa the good news.


	32. Sweet Candy

Kasumi burst out laughing as they entered the docks the next morning.

"Oh, Goddesses! Seriously, Cora? You Dueled in a glittery bunny outfit? Man, that would have been a nice sight to see. Uh, well, funny is what I mean."

"Oh, ha, ha, ha. Laugh it up, Kass," Cora said with a roll of her eyes. "That's one outfit I'm never going to wear again. Ugh, I still feel it riding up my butt."

Krissa giggled. "Well, you gave it so much to work with. I see those sessions at the gym have been really working out for you."

Cora smiled and looked at her. "Coming from you, I find that rather sweet."

"Oh, I'm gonna barf," Kasumi groaned, walking ahead of them. She expected them to start making out by now, but she didn't even hear a kiss. She looked back and saw that both girls were quiet and walking quite a distance from one another. Odd. A month ago, they would have been hand in hand or hugging and kissing as they walked, not caring who or what was in the way. Trouble in paradise?

"Holy shit!" Krissa said, spotting the private superyacht of Prince Michael looming over them, shadowing the docks from the morning sun. From where they stood, they saw a fleet of jet-back VTOL aircraft on a landing pad at the bow of the ship. Kasumi pointed at the water and saw three smaller yachts ready to dock inside the super-yacht.

"That thing is so big it has its own harbor," said Cora. "Fuck me! Prince Michael loves spending his money."

"He's the third richest person in Eredas," Kasumi said with a chuckle. "And that's just because his mommy, The Queen, loves him so, so much."

"If only my father was like that," said Cora.

Krissa coughed into her fist and said: "Speaking of which, don't you feel like a heel going on some tournament cruise while he's sick."

Cora stopped. "No! My father is a strong man and he's being taken care of by the best doctors in this bloody continent. He's going to wake up, you wait and see. And when he does, it's going to be hell on earth for that bitch, Madame Angelmen. She's going to rue the day she humiliated me like that."

"I'm sure he'll wake up, too," said Kasumi. "Seto Kaiba is a powerful man. The Blue-Eyes are also guarding him as his spirit monsters. I can feel it. They'll give him the strength to overcome this mysterious Rosenkruz Syndrome. He'll wake up at any second."

Cora suddenly beamed at Kass like she never had done before. "You really think so?"

"I know so," Kasumi said with a wink. "Oh, look, there they are now. Um, is M crying?"

"Oh no," Cora said, rushing to see what was wrong. They were gathered around a fountain. M was bawling as he sat on the edge of the fountain with Nixie by his side, patting his back.

"For goodness sakes, M!" Jericho shouted. "Get over her, will you!? She never liked you and she never will! She said so herself."

"I wanted this to go on forever," he sobbed. "It's not fair!"

"What's going on?" Cora asked.

Jericho shook her head. "This numbskull over here contacted Little Miss Fanny again. He left her a long apology but she chose to ignore him and blocked him."

"Ouch," said Krissa.

Cora pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Well, what were you expecting, M? After the way you told her off the other day, who can blame her? Not that I'm faulting you, by the way. You did the right thing by calling her out. But you need to stop feeling bad that this person is no longer a part of your life."

"I wanted her to be a part of my life. I tried so hard and..."

Cora stamped her foot on the ground. "M, you heard what she said. You're not even important enough to her to be reminded if you forgot her birthday."

"She iz right," said Madeline. "Zat says a lot about how she felt about you. Everyone else gets a free pass but you get treated like sheet. It iz not only unfair to you, but it iz downright cruel. You deserve better zan her, darling."

"I didn't mean to snap at her," M continued sobbing. "I was just...so frustrated. All those times she told me not to talk to her was just getting to me. I was beginning to feel worthless."

"Then she was not a friend!" said Jack. "Friends don't make you feel worthless. Dry those tears and look up. Look up, damn you!"

M did as he was told, his lips trembling as he tried to hold back his feelings.

"Oh, M," Amy said, leaning forward to wipe away his tears. "It's okay." She started to cry too. "You're making sad, dear."

"You see these girls?" Jack continued. "They are all a testament to how full of shit Fanny was. They are all busy and have lives of their own and have goals they want to accomplish. But none of them, you hear me? NONE of them used their dreams as an excuse to keep you out of their lives. And let me tell you something else. Not only did this girl tell you not to talk to her for long periods of time, but she was _**SPECIFIC**_ with how long she wanted you out of her life."

"She's right, baby," said Nixie, rubbing M's back. "You remember what she said. _'Oh, I've got a big test coming up, so I can't talk for two weeks. Oh, there's another one after that and I won't talk for another two weeks. Oh, I forgot, there's another big test coming, so now I can't talk for a month cuz I have to study.' _M, tell me, what kind of a person just commands someone they care about not to speak to them for a MONTH!"

"I just thought..."

"Don't say another word!" said Brandy. "So, even if she told you not to talk to her for two years, would you sit on your ass and wait around?"

M shook his head, big tears rolled down his cheeks. Madeline reached into her blouse and took out a handkerchief for him to use. He gladly took it and wiped his tears away. "But it's my fault, too. I annoyed her. I got way too protective of her."

"And you had every right to be!" said Cora. "She started going to rowdy places and went partying with stupid people. People I wouldn't even want to be with. You were just looking out for her well-being, and there is nothing wrong with that. Now, look here. I'm only going to say this once. You have only one life. Don't waste it expecting her to come back. She doesn't want to come back and she never will come back. You have to accept that it didn't work out and move on."

"But I loved that kid," M said, wiping another tear with the handkerchief. "I loved her like she was my own sister."

"Well, tough shit!" Cora yelled, slapping her arms on her sides. "She didn't love you. The friendship mattered more to you than it did her. That alone is a recipe for disaster. One person can't love another more than the other in a relationship. Our lives and our goals are important, but we should never leave behind the people that care for us and love us just like you loved her. Tests, school, work, Duel Monsters. Those are just obstacles that test the foundation of our friendships. We overcame them, she did not. She didn't even try."

M sniffled again and patted away a few more tears.

"Come on, M!" Cora said, raising her voice. "She put her fucking birthday before you! She put it before your friendship, the promises you made to be better with one another, and your family. Your baby sister was born and she didn't even bother to put her anger aside for that. Your mom passed away and she didn't even care to unblock you to give you her condolences. She treated you and everyone you care about like SHIT! And for what? Because she couldn't bother to remind you that you forgot to say happy birthday the way a real friend would!"

"She's right," said Yumi. "Look at what she's done to you. Instead of talking to you about it, she decided to act like a spoiled brat and balled up her anger as she plotted her revenge against you for missing her birthday. Don't you see? She wanted this to happen. She wanted to pick a fight. Friends don't do that!"

M started to nod. Slowly, he was beginning to understand.

Yumi patted his back until he calmed down. "If she doesn't get her way or get you to abide by her rules, you don't mean shit to her. And she more than proved that when she bragged about how she would 'happily' remind everyone else if they forgot her birthday except you! Get her out of your fucking head and move on! Now, I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"I want to keep on trying though. It just can't end this way."

"Fine! Do whatever you want. But you listen to me, mister. I don't want any waterworks while we're on the cruise. Either you man the fuck up or don't bother speaking to me again because I don't want to have to go through with this every day. Got it!"

"Yes, ma'am," said M. "Aww, come here!" He held out his arms. The girls all dove in for a group hug.

Kasumi patted his cheek and said: "Remember, M. Sometimes the people we'd take a bullet for are the ones pulling the trigger. It's okay to love people, but you have to love yourself even more."

"Okay. I promise."

Krissa stood where she was and nodded her head. "One person can't love more than the other, huh? I'm beginning to understand now."

"Trouble in paradise?" Prince Clovis said, arriving with his posse. They were all wearing matching windbreakers and sweatpants colored black with red streaks over the chest and on the side of the legs. Clovis stood in front of the group, brandishing his championship belt. "Is that M'Bakuuan weeping?" He let out a horrid laugh. "Boy, I find it embarrassing that this big cry baby is your muscle, Cora."

"Oh joy," said Jericho. "The Boy Scouts of Loserville are here. What's going on, Clovis? Did Prince Michael assign a room for arts and crafts or something?"

"Laugh it up, you wench! I can't wait to see the looks on your faces when I defeat Zane and successfully defend my title. Oh, look, boys. There she is. Miss Yumi Muto, daughter of the King of Games. You've made quite a name for yourself at school these past few months. What rank have you achieved so far?"

Yumi scratched her head. "Fifteen."

Clovis and his boys started laughing at her. "Fifteen? Oh, daddy must be so proud of you! How pathetic."

Cora sighed, "Get lost, Clovis. Or do you want Kasumi smashing your balls again?"

"She will do no such thing. Thanks to your Headmistress, if that beast comes within five feet of me, she will be arrested and I'll sue the royal family for everything they've got. Down to the very last ha'penny."

"Oh, sure," Kasumi said crossing her arms. "You always need dear Madame Angelmen to get you what you want and protect you. Seriously, when are you going to start fighting like a man?"

"Do not speak to me, Princess! That alone could get you into trouble with the courts. These games are where you and I are going to settle the score once and for all, Cora. After I take on Zane, I'm challenging you to a Duel. And your Blue-Eyes White Dragons will be put the line."

"You cannot force her to do that!" Krissa yelled.

"Oh, I can. And she must accept. As we're both members of two elite Great Houses, I invoke the right of the Dueling Pact."

"Oh, man," said M. "That means you have to, Cora."

"Yes, Cora, you have to! My family has worked tirelessly this past couple of years to get those artificial dragons from Kaiba. To know he gave them to some bum off the streets is just insulting! I am well-bred! I have royal blood in my veins, and I was the Rank 1 student at school! I deserve the Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Not you."

Suddenly the sound of nine-inch heels clopping on the pavement silenced him. Clovis and his gang turned in unison to see who it was and when they saw the person, their eyes widened and their tongues dropped out. They howled like wolves and giggled like hyenas when they saw that it was Princess Alexis Rhodes, finally back from her great quest in the West. She wore a crisp, white blouse, a black skirt and the heels of her slippers were made of gold and shaped to look like skeletal columns wrapped with vines and blooming flowers. A rare and magical necklace known as the Vendreth Nexyal (Heart of the Star Lady) shimmered around her slender neck, flashing brightly as though a horde of cameramen were snapping pictures thousands of times.

Clovis tilted his championship belt towards the sun so it could flash and slid his hand down his hair. "Why, Princess, I am charmed to see you came all this way to see me defeat your buddy, Zane. You honor me."

"And you disgust me. Seriously, you seem to be throwing the Dueling Pact around every time someone has something that you want. You did the same to Zane when he first appeared back in grade school with his Cyber Dragons. And again with Chazz when you saw his Armed Dragon Level 10. They all bested you and so will Cora. So, don't go running around with delusions that you'll be the next owner of the Blue-Eyes."

"Oh, those are fighting words," Clovis said stepping forward. "You dare insult a Prince of Termnnia?"

Alexis scoffed. "You sound as though you're part of the Alliance."

"I should be part of the Alliance. Master Yugi knows how great I am, but I suppose he doesn't want me to outshine Prince Yuri and those other losers he has in his council. I could make a fine Noble Knight of the Round Table, no?"

"Those losers are far better men than you'll ever be, Clovis. And don't even dream of it. You could never be a Noble Knight. You're not even a prince. No, you're nothing more than the son of a nobleman thinking he's king in his petty kingdom."

If there's one thing Clovis hated more than Cora, it was having someone call his family's lands a 'Petty Kingdom'. He stepped closer towards her. "Well, well, well. Looks like this princess needs a lesson in manners. I think your mother didn't spank you enough as a little girl, Alexis. I'll just have to correct that mistake, won't I?"

"Causing trouble already, Clovis?" Zane said, coming out of the crowd.

"Z-Z-Zane," Clovis stuttered.

Zane adjusted his black tie. His golden, diamond-studded watch flashed brighter than even Clovis's championship belt. He stopped next to Alexis and shook his head in displeasure.

"Harassing a princess? You truly are the most pathetic human being it has ever been my displeasure to come across. If it weren't for that title you constantly keep disgracing, you wouldn't even be in my event."

"Back off, Zane! This doesn't concern you!"

"Not as much as your uniform does," Zane said, stepping in front of Alexis, but not to protect her from Clovis. No, he was instead protecting Clovis from her. He knew of the power Alexis had gained while she was out in Thara searching for the lost Gems of Entuli. With just a thought, Alexis could summon Vrash or Dakini and he would have a massacre to clean up afterward, as well as having to deal with the trouble of a dead prince on his hands.

"Easy," he said to her. He saw her hand flashing with small arcane circles. She was ready to summon something and have it cut Clovis and his boys to ribbons.

Alexis smiled and she made a complex sign with her fingers, turning down the conjuration spell.

Zane nodded once and smiled back. "Good girl." He then turned to look back at Clovis. "I don't want anyone making trouble in my event. Champion or not, if I catch you threatening my friend again, I'll throw you off the boat on a dingy. Do I make myself clear? There are far more opponents to play against who are worthier than you."

"I'll make you eat those words in the ring!" Clovis said. He brandished his belt again. "Take a good look, Zane. This is the closest you'll ever get to a championship belt. And after I beat you, I'm coming for little Miss Kaiba and her Blue-Eyes. Those dragons are the real prize here."

"Come and get them, asshole!" Cora said holding up her hand and bending her fingers toward herself.

"Oh, I will. Come on, boys. Let's go get ourselves accommodated." He snapped his fingers and they followed him onto the ship, sneering and laughing confidently.

"You okay?" Zane asked.

"Yeah," Alexis said sighing and putting her hands on her hips. "It's not the first time a guy thought they could get the better of me. So, this is my opponent, huh?"

Cora looked around and pointed at herself. "What? Me? Zane, you put me in a Duel against Alexis Rhodes?"

"I told you I would find you a worthy opponent for the match card. Alexis has always wanted to try her hand against the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, but since Seto Kaiba is a busy man, having a Duel with him is hard to do."

"He was one of my greatest teachers though," said Alexis. "My mother is one of his most loyal investors, so he repaid her a bit by teaching me some tricks to play the game. Seeing as how he's got someone else to wield the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, I think I've spotted my chance to finally try my hand against them. By the way, Cora, are you in any way a descendant of House Rosenkruz?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's only natural that someone from that House has the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Or are you perhaps a Vollanti?"

Zane chuckled. "Come on, Alexis. Does Cora look like she's got bluish-white hair or glowing blue-eyes? Besides, the Vollanti have been extinct since the First Age of the Sun. There's no way they'll just magically pop up now."

"Hmm, I dunno. We never really thought a baby boy could destroy a Dark Lord and summon God Cards, but there it is. We've got Prince Yuri. Anything is possible in this world you know."

"I see your point. Still, I doubt Cora's a Vollanti."

"Then how can she use the Blue-Eyes?"

"I don't know either," said Cora. "Except for the Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon card I randomly got, I had no idea why they would call on me. All I know is someone or something forced my father into making these three copies for a 'special heir'." She reached into her pocket and held up the cards, safely sealed in plastic sleeves.

"Wow, they're beautiful," said Alexis. She leaned forward to get a better look at them. "That's Premium Gold Rare, right?"

"Uh-huh," Cora replied. "I just walked into the diner and Seto said they started glowing. Why they chose me, I have no idea. Normally if these guys don't want to be used by you, they'll let you know it. Sometimes they've been known to kill people who they find unworthy to use them. But so far, they've all been little angels to me."

"Which is why I questioned your lineage," said Alexis. "Only the Vollanti or those with the blood of House Rosenkruz can use these dragons. And you have no clue as to where you come from?"

"I don't even know who I am," said Cora. "I swear this is the truth. It feels as though someone just turned the lights on in my life and I found myself just walking on the road for years."

"That's very interesting," said Zane. "If you want, Cora, I could help you look into that. All I'd need is a sample of your blood."

"Oh, I uh..."

Alexis elbowed him in the stomach. "I don't know, coming from you that sounds rather creepy. It's okay if she doesn't want to talk about it. What matters is, we've got ourselves a Blue-Eyes Duelist and I want to Duel against her. Cora, it was nice meeting you. I'm looking forward to our match."

"Yeah, me too. I heard you Cyber Angels are beautiful. Can't wait to see them up close."

"Oh, you will," Alexis said with a wink. She then looked at Zane and tugged on his sleeve. "Come on, Zane. You promised we'd have breakfast in the galley."

"Of course. Cora, I hope you and your friends enjoy the event. Make yourselves at home."

* * *

The sun had gone down and Prince Michael's yacht was now miles and miles away at sea, alone in an endless abyss of black. The water reflected the stars so well, it looked like they were sailing through The Void. But the yacht was exploding with noise, multicolored lights, lasers, and strobe lights. Up on the main deck, the guests were splashing around an arena-sized swimming pool, tossing beach balls in the air and waving glow sticks as a DJ in knight's armor was playing songs from his booth overlooking the party. Candy watched from a balcony with a chocolate sundae in her hands. She saw Cora, Kasumi, Nixie, Jericho, Madeline, and even Princess Alexis at the very center of the pool dancing and waving their arms around. A red ball came towards them. Nixie shot out of the water like a missile and smacked it with her hand towards the other side of the pool. A group of boys celebrated her actions with a loud cheer and raised cans of beer. Bright lights in the pool started flashing, turning the water into neon greens, blues, and pinks. Cora was sporting a black bikini with glowing blue cybernetic patterns.

"To my dad!" shouted Cora. "That son of a bitch is gonna wake up and unleash hell upon this earth!"

"Woooo!" cheered Kasumi, clad in a fiery red two-piece, which she hoped with captivating Cora. Needless to say, it was working. Cora winked at her more than once and even gave her butt an unsuspected pat earlier as they entered the pool. Perhaps it worked a little too well. Suddenly Cora ripped off Kasumi's top and held it up in the air. Kasumi's sudden exposure caused the crowd to become excited. She screamed, crossing her right arm over her breasts and darted after Cora. She grabbed hold of her bikini bottom, yanking it back enough to give the crowd a quick view of her derriere. Cora pulled them back up and swam away, tossing Kasumi's top at Nixie, who shot out of the water again to catch it.

"I don't understand how anyone can behave in such a way," Candy said, sadly eating another spoonful of her sundae.

Mr. Gael, tucked underneath her arm, let out an annoyed tsk. "Because they know how to have fun. They're not scared little pussies like you. I seriously can't believe you brought me along on the main deck. I like the view from around here and this party is fire, but don't you think you look a little stupid holding a teddy bear at your age?"

"I can't go anywhere without you, sir," Candy said timidly. "You're the only one who can protect me."

"Oh, give me a break!" Mr. Gael shouted. "Seriously? Seriously? I know I've got a mind of my own and can move around, but for the sake of Horakhty, girl, I'm just a teddy bear. What exactly can I protect you against?"

"You can cast magic spells?"

"Yeah, for a few minutes. My mana pool isn't as complex as yours. Come on, girl. You need to be a part of that group! I sacrificed a lot getting you a ticket aboard this barge, and now you're gonna do your part. Mingle, damn it!"

"With that?" Candy said.

"You asked for it!" Kasumi shouted. She suddenly shot out of the water and smashed her fist on the surface, creating a tidal wave that formed into a watery serpentine dragon. It roared and waved its body from side to side. The dragon's body changed colors with the water. It looked down and snarled at Nixie.

"OH SHIT!" Nixie cried as the dragon roared and headed straight for her. She crumpled the top into a ball and tossed it at Alexis. The dragon cared not and smashed into Nixie. She shielded herself with a green hexagon-tiled barrier that sent water splashing in all directions. The dragon shook its head, snarled and soared after Alexis.

"HEY I WANTED NO PART IN THIS!" she shouted, throwing the top at Cora. The dragon summoned a wave that headed straight for Alexis. She held up her palm and froze the wave solid with an ice spell. The dragon smashed his head on the wall, sending tiny pieces of ice into the air, which rained down on the guests like snow. "I DON'T HAVE IT!" she tried to tell the dragon.

BOOM! A huge pillar of water shot up into the air. The dragon was gone and the battle was over. The crowd cheered and whistled. They started chanting for them to battle again.

Zane and Prince Michael watched the whole ordeal from a balcony overlooking the pool. Prince Michael chuckled and said: "College girls."

"You gotta love 'em," said Zane.

They clinked their glasses together as congratulations for a successful event.

Meanwhile, Candy was shaking her head, refusing Mr. Gael's demands to go join them at the pool party. "I couldn't possibly!" she said squeamishly. "I...I...they're too rough. Did you see what Kasumi just did? She animated the water to form into a dragon."

"They're the kind of friends you need to make it to the top. They're the best in the school and the future of this industry. Come on, Candy. Stop being such a baby."

Cora climbed out of the pool to get herself a drink, but she was stopped halfway by a challenger. Out of the crowd emerged a young man from the local Davenport Academy had taken up his spot on the other side of the pool. He was tall and chubby, sporting long, spiked brown hair. He had a dash of freckles across his face and he wore a tropical shirt that was unbuttoned and red swimming trunks.

"Oh, Goddesses! Cora Kaiba!" he said, jumping up and down in excitement. "I'm such a huge fan of yours. Can I have your autograph? Please."

"Uh...sure," Cora replied.

The young man ran for the bar and pulled a napkin from the dispenser. He took a pen out of its pocket and handed the items to Cora. She walked to a nearby table to write her name. "Sorry about that," she said. "I didn't think Kasumi would take it so rough."

"Are you kidding!? That was awesome! Oh, thank you!" he took the napkin from Cora. "Oh, Miss Cora, please. One more thing. If I could trouble you for a Duel."

"A Duel?"

"Yes! Yes, please! My followers are gonna flip when they see that I Dueled Seto Kaiba's daughter. My name is Chad Fellroy, otherwise known as the HandsomeDuelist3434 from the TwilightGaming clan in Duel Links. I've got sixty million subscribers on DuelLIVE. Perhaps you've heard of me."

Cora chuckled. "I...uh. No, I can't say that I have. I mostly spend my time Dueling and studying for my exams at school. I don't really have time to watch personas on DuelLIVE."

"Cora!" Nixie said running towards her. "You've never heard of HandsomeDuelist3434? Girl, you've had your nose in the books for too long. Sorry, Chad, this one's always got a stick up her ass just like her father."

"Hey!"

Chad laughed. "Aw, it's okay. I sort of figured a Kaiba would be too busy for these kinds of things. So what do you say, Cora? How about a match?"

"Oh, I say accept!" Nixie pressed her on. "Come on, Cora! This is going to go viral."

"Viral?" Yumi approached from the bar with a frozen daiquiri in her hand. "Does this mean we're all going to get sick? Is there a disease in the air we should be concerned about?"

Cora, Nixie, and Chad laughed at her.

"No, silly," said Nixie. "It means it's going to be the next biggest thing on the internet."

Cora grinned and had that look in her eye. "Well, I guess so."

"Aw, sweet!" Chad said, pumping his fist. "But if you lose, Cora, you've got to subscribe to my channel. Deal?"

"Deal."

"DUEL! DUEL! DUEL! DUEL!" the crowd chanted. Cora suddenly walked up to the edge of the pool.

"What's going on?" Candy asked from above.

Mr. Gael looked over her shoulder so he could watch the match. "A Duel is what's going on, stupid. Can't you hear the chants? And it looks like Cora's up to bat. Watch and learn kid. This should be really educational."

Chad finally got to his side of the pool. The swimmers gathered under him gave him some space for his face-down cards. One of his friends came by with his Duel Disk and he slapped it on. M hurried with Cora's duffle bag containing her Duel Disk. She unzipped it and put it a white crop top before strapping on her Duel Disk. She put the gazer over her right eye and then the holographic cards appeared in front of her in a neon blue window.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

"I'll go first!" said Chad. "Oh, man! Those new Duel Disks your dad made are so lit! Care to hook me up sometime?"

"When my dad gets better, I'll put in the good word for you."

"You're the best, Cora. Now, I'll start things off by activating a continuous spell. Now I'll tribute it so I can summon Majesty Maiden the True Dracocaster!"

**ATK/2300 DEF/1500**

He summoned a pretty blonde-haired sorceress, wearing ornate white robes and she had two, large, pink dragon wings sprouting from her back. She spun her staff and came to a halt over the water.

"Next I play the Field Spell Card, Dragonic Diagram! I'll use its effect to discard this card and add one from my deck. Also, my True Draco monsters will get a 300 attack and defense point boost. Now Majesty Maiden is standing at a whopping 2500 attack points and 1800 defense points. Now, I'll activate Pot of Greed, and draw two cards. Nice. I play the spell card, True Draco Heritage. Thanks to this card, I'm allowed to draw a card for each True Draco card that gets sent to the Graveyard. So far, I got one in there and I draw a card. Oh, I'll set it face down and end my turn."

"All right," Cora tapped her dealer and a card was added to the holographic hand in front of her. "I reveal a Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand to Special Summon, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!"

The massive beast shot out of the pool and spun around, splashing everyone with water. The Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon got a standing ovation from the crowd.

"Kaiba! Kaiba! Kaiba! Kaiba!" they all chanted in support for Cora's father. Seeing them cheer for him and hoping for a speedy recovery brought a tear to her eye.

"Thank you all so much," said Cora.

Jack watched her as he lounged with Kasumi in one of the jacuzzis by the pools with two large and exotic drinks in their hands. Jack all of a sudden could not contain himself anymore. Cora standing there with her dragon was just a glorious sight to behold. She was too much. Her beauty mixed with their power were the ingredients to a deadly cocktail of lust that he couldn't help but drink.

"Now my Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon will destroy your Majesty Maiden. Go, Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon! Blue Lightning!"

"Good move! But not good enough, Cora. I activate Majesty Maiden's special ability and chain it with this Trap Card. True King Return! With it, I will revive Dreiath III, the True Dracocavalry General!"

**ATK/2100 DEF/2800**

"Next, I add a card to my hand."

The Blue Lightning attack soared over the swimmers, who cheered and whooped as the powerful attack zoomed towards Majesty Maiden. All of a sudden, Dreiath III spread his four steel wings and held out his lance. It absorbed the spell and canceled it out.

"What?"

"When Dreiath is on the field, you cannot target or destroy my True Draco monsters. So Majesty Maiden is safe. Heh, heh, heh."

"Okay. Nice save there, buddy. But I'm not done yet. I use a Pot of Greed of my own and draw two cards. Next, I summon Sage with Eyes of Blue!"

She conjured a handsome, white-haired mage wearing magical robes of many shades of dark blue with gold accents. He spun his staff, whose top was crafted to look like the crest on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon's jawline.

"Good, I'll activate my True King's Return!" said Chad. "Now, I tribute Majesty Maiden to summon Dinomight Knight the True Dracofighter!"

**ATK/2500 DEF/1200**

"Fine. I'll use Sage with Eyes of Blue to tune with Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon. Now, I Synchro Summon, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon!"

"Ah, there's the card that saved her life!" said Jack, watching with awe and amazement as a colossal, bright, white, dragon hovered over the ship like an angel. At the tip of its tail was a long tuft of golden hair.

**ATK/2500 DEF/3000**

_Cora, you truly are magnificent. The most beautiful mystery of our time. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon and all its forms were made specifically for the Vollanti and their last remnants in the House of Rosenkruz. You don't seem to be either but they come to you. They fight for you. They obey your every whim as though you were Seto Kaiba himself. Or Princess Trish of Rosenkruz. Cora, you add such grace to those beasts. _

Cora blew kisses at the crowd as they cheered her father's name over and over again.

_O' Anna, Goddess of Love. Why? Did you have your cherubs strike me? I've never seen anything like it. Power has never looked so beautiful._

"Now from my hand, I activate a monster effect!"

"Cool," said Chad. "I'll activate my Dinomight Knight's effect and place a trap card on the field. True Draco Apocolypse. Now, what's the card in your hand."

"The card is Danger! Nessie! I reveal it to you. Now, you have to choose one card in my hand. And if it's not Nessie, I can summon it. So chose."

"That one. The second to the left."

"That was Bigfoot," said Cora. "You chose wrong. So now I summon, Danger! Nessie!"

The water in the center of the pool bubbled. Out from the depths, a prehistoric monster rose out and roared. Its upper body was the color of sand while the underbelly was aquatic blue. It blew steam from its nostrils and stared at Chad and his True Dracos. Nessie roared again, announcing that it was ready for a fight.

**ATK/1600 DEF/2800**

Cora laughed. "Take it easy, baby. You'll get your chance. Now, since Nessie was successfully summoned, I get to draw a card. And since Bigfoot is in the graveyard, I get to destroy one of your spells or traps. See ya, True King Armageddon."

Chad had a chance to do something there, but he missed his mark. Now he was in the for the ride of his life.

"I use Polymerization and fuse all three of my Blue-Eyes White Dragons together for the all-powerful, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

A blue laser shot out of the water followed by a massive explosion. The pool started glowing bright blue as Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon arose from the water. It spread its wings, water cascaded down its body, splashing in all directions. The crowd whistled and cheered as the mighty beast reared up all three of its heads and roared.

Jack had completely lost it at that point. His teeth shattered as he fought the urge to go after her. She was just too much for his overinflated ego. And she looked so amazing. Her round breasts bounced as she waved her arms in the air to pump up the crowd. She turned. Her poor bottoms had so much to work with. Her heart-shaped ass was so plump that her swimwear was barely visible. Time slowed down for Jack. He felt as though the whole world had paused to bask in Cora's glory and beauty. He suddenly felt as though he exploded. No, he thought. Kasumi is not worthy. Cora is the one. _Cora! I must have you! You are mine!_

Neo-Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon launched a deadly assault on Chad's True Dracos. She sent another Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and a regular Ultimate Dragon to the grave so she could attack multiple times. Then Nessie dove in for a direct attack, followed by Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon. BOOM! It was all over for Chad.

Candy, still watching all the action from above, was in awe at what she just saw. Her sundae was now just a chocolate gloop in her cup. "She's amazing!"

"Ain't she?" said Mr. Gael. "You'd do well to join her ranks. It's what you need, girl. You always wanted a better life, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, Cora Kaiba is the key to that life. So you'd better start figuring something out soon."

Candy nodded and threw away her slush. Suddenly, a stage rolled in from the walls and the guests gathered around it. The curtains digitized revealing Prince Michael and his band The Royal Fiends. The night exploded with heavy metal music. As much as Candy wanted to stick around, she was growing awfully tired. It was three in the morning now. Even Mr. Gael thought it was past her bedtime.

"Okay, you. Get back to the room and dress into your pj's. You've got a big day ahead of you."

"Thank you, sir," Candy said, rubbing her eye. She went downstairs and noticed there was a crowd of people in the halls. Just as she squeezed her way through, she bumped into Cora.

"Oh, hey there. Careful now," Cora said. She had a towel wrapped over her neck.

"Oh, Cora Kaiba! I-I I'm terribly sorry."

"Now's your chance!" Mr. Gael whispered.

Cora grinned and waved her hand, telling her it was okay. She chugged some water and said: "Hey, I know you. I saw you Dueling one of Clovis's dorks at school. Yeah. You're that girl who used the Magician Girl deck. Uh..." She snapped her fingers. "Candy. Right?"

"Yes, yes. That's me."

"Ah, you played a good game. Sweet name by the way. Uh, no pun intended. Are you going to Duel here?"

"I hadn't planned on it."

"Aww, come on. I know there's a badass Duelist in there somewhere. I hate Clovis's friends but they play really well. It takes a lot of skill to hold your own against them. Let alone beat them. You don't suppose you can give me a little demonstration later on, huh?"

"Oh no, I just couldn't. I don't have what it takes to play against you or your friends."

"Nonsense. What you lack is confidence. Can I take a look at your deck sometime? Oh, how about tomorrow? You want to meet for breakfast?"

"Meet? With me? You really want to?"

"I don't see why not. I want to help a fellow Duelist in need. Nixie and Jericho told me a lot about you."

"You...you know Jericho?"

Cora laughed. "Girl, you act like she's a monster."

"Um, well, she is. Well, towards me anyway. She gives me wedgies in the locker room and stuffs me in the lockers."

Cora gasped. She suddenly frowned and looked out the door. "What? Oh, hell no! We'll just see about that. Thanks for bringing that up to me, babe. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's bullies. I won't stand one hanging around me, that's for sure. I'll have a little chat with her later."

Candy shook her head frantically and waved her hand. "Oh no, I don't want any trouble."

"There won't be any trouble, believe me. I can handle this. Just show up tomorrow and we can work something out. I want to help you, Candy. I just don't know why, but I just have this urge to do so. Heh, maybe you just have that effect on people, I don't know."

"Well, I really appreciate it, Cora. Where do you want to meet?"

"The Royal Stone Cafe. Be there at nine, okay."

"Yes, ma'am. I certainly will be there. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

"Of course. See you tomorrow." She walked away.

"I can't belive she talked to me!" Candy whispered. "She wants to meet me for breakfast tomorrow."

"Yup," said Mr. Gael. "I just knew this was a good idea. Things are finally looking up for you, Candy. Hurry and get back to bed. I have a feeling tomorrow will be our big break. You wait and see."

* * *

"Come on!" shouted Mr. Gael. He paced back and forth on the bed with his hands to his back. "You were supposed to be there forty minutes ago."

"Well, it's not my fault I overslept!" Candy protested as she tossed clothes out of her suitcase, trying desperately to find the right ones to wear. "I wanted to go to bed when I was supposed to. But instead, you make me stay up until the early hours of the morning just to watch some Duels and stalk Cora. I wanted to meet her my own way."

"If you had done things your own way, you would have never met Cora. I told you, babe, I've always got a plan. Things would go a lot more smoothly for you if only you'd just listen to me."

"Well, she said I could take all the time I need, so don't rush me!"

"Taking all the time you need doesn't mean take an eternity!"

"I'm working on it! I have to look perfect. She's friends with the likes of Princess Kasumi. Madeline the Lionheart, winner of the royal spring pageant more than five years straight and a daughter of a Royal House! Nixie Marsh, too! I've read some interesting things about her in the papers. She's just an intern yet she discovered six new dinosaur species last semester and Maximillion Pegasus turned them into cards. Regaliazowler, Two-Headed Kaiser Rex, Royal Sword of Dragon, and so many others. She said Prince Yuri should be given them first."

"Well, I saw her using those new dinos at school the other day. So, they didn't go just to him."

"Not yet anyway. She discovered them so it makes sense that she gets them, too. I hope to see them in action. They look really cool."

She grabbed a denim skirt and a yellow tank top with blue streaks.

"I think this will do." She started to change.

Mr. Gael stood wear he was, watching her put her clothes on. "And what do you plan to do about Jericho?"

"Cora said she was going to work something out. Maybe I don't have to worry about her after all."

"So long as you're part of her group, I don't care what goes on between the two of you. This is the kind of exposure you need, Candy! Cora and her friends are the tickets to fame and fortune. And they'll teach you how to properly play the game, too. Maybe even give you a little more confidence."

"I hope you're right. My flowers and my toys are not making me enough money for anything. If I don't make enough gold by the end of the break, I can't go to school next semester."

"You will. Especially with what I've got planned for ya," Mr. Gael said as he rubbed his paws together.

After she finished dressing up, Candy picked up her bear and hurried for the atrium, which doubled as a large pool with a bar at the center where some students were helping themselves to bowls of exotic fruits, pancakes, and cold glasses of orange juice. Candy looked around nervously and had her eyes to the ground to avoid eye contact with people who passed by her. She just gazed at the baby blue nail polish on her toes poking out from behind her white sandals. She walked to one of the tables by the pool and set Mr. Gael down.

And she waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

But there was no sign of Cora. She checked her Merfae watch. The fluffy pink Duel Monsters bounced on a little cloud from second-to-second. Twenty minutes past the time that Cora requested to meet her. Perhaps she slept in, too. She heard Mr. Gael grumbling in frustration behind her. She gulped. If Cora didn't show up, she was going to be punished. And Mr. Gael was like a grizzly bear when he was pissed off. Suddenly, she heard someone singing by the pool. A girl in a red and black swimsuit with a red pareo wrapped around her waist was dipping her feet into the water.

"It's Madeline!" Candy gasped. She examined her from top to bottom to make sure it was really her. Yes. The diamond eyes and her long, curled, golden hair, which was highlighted in black and red here and there. She was of the Lionheart race.

"Oh, it is her. She's the girl in Cora's group who uses the Noble Knight warriors. Wow, I've always wanted to meet her!"

"Now's yer chance!" Mr. Gael said, trying to push her off her seat. "Go, go, before it's too late."

Candy suddenly froze stiff like a frightened goat and she started to quiver. "I...I can't. What if she doesn't want to speak to me?"

"Move!" Mr. Gael shouted. Claws sprung out of his paws and he slashed her in the back to get her moving.

"Ouch!" Candy gasped, jumping out of her seat. That got Madeline's attention. She turned her head to look at her.

"Iz everyzing all right?"

Candy rubbed her back. The claw marks reddening her delicate skin magically disappeared. "Uh, yes. I'm fine. Um, do you by any chance know Cora Kaiba? I was supposed to meet her here a few minutes ago."

"Why yes, I do. Ah, you must be zat girl, Candy. Oh, you are such a cute little thing, aren't you? Yes, Cora said you would be coming down here in a bit. I apologize if Cora izn't around. She had a little too much to drink at ze rave last night. I told 'er to go to sleep, but she just insisted on partying her ass off until dawn. She should be down any moment now."

"I find it quite odd how she can be so carefree with her father being so sick."

"Cora believes her father can pull through whatever sickness he has. I read a book by Yugi Muto that teaches that sometimes faith is all we 'ave to overcome tough obstacles. Mr. Kaiba iz a man of great fortitude. I, too, believe zat he can overcome zis Rosenkruz Syndrome. Goddesses 'ave mercy on us all if he falls. I sometimes believe he iz ze only one in Eredas who can hold Domino together. Word of advice, do not mention ze sickness of her father. Cora's trying her best to keep in high spirits. She may be a wild card out zere on ze field, but deep down, she hurts inside."

"I understand. So how did you come across meeting Cora?"

"Rosenkruz Academy is set to 'ave a team tournament at ze end of ze month. I applied to join ze group, and Cora was most impressed."

"I would be too! Wow, I heard it takes a lot of skill to use the Noble Knights."

"Oh no. I mean, zey are not an archetype for beginners, but zey are quite easy to use once you understand zere effects. I make use of equip-spells a lot, which also helps out another tough monster in my deck. Phoenix God Gearfried. He iz quite the powerhouse and a great ally to ze Noble Knights."

"I saw you use him a few days ago. You were so impressive. I hope I can play as well as you one day." She paused. "Well, sort of."

Madeline cocked her head to the side. "Sort of? You either are wanting to be a great Duelist, or you're not."

Candy timidly crossed her legs and placed her hands behind her back. "Well, I want to be a good Duelist, but what I really want to do is make toys for children and grow flowers. Ever since I was little I loved flowers. Well, I come from a Noble House of Gardenrealm, so I guess that explains it."

"Aww. I guess it does. But you can't do all three? I imagine opening your own shop will require quite a lot of money. Why not test your skills in the pro leagues and earn your keep? After you make a good living as a Duelist, you can open your shop."

See! See! What did I tell ya! Cora and her pals know what to do!

"I never really thought about that. I just wanted to settle and live my dream right away."

"But you can't do zat, darling. Dreams require hard work and dedication to come true. You need to build a strong foundation to keep it standing strong. If you just jump into it, it will surely crumble. Nowadays, magic doesn't make ze world go round. It's money. And Duel Monsters is the best way to make money. Ze competition is going to be fierce, but if you believe in yourself and your deck, you will go far."

"Thank you, Madeline! I will do my best."

"Good. So, did you make zat bear on ze table?"

"Mr. Gael? Um, yes. I did."

"Oh, excellent craftsmanship, Candy, well done. You must be very fond of 'im. You carry 'im wherever you go. Do you not like parting with it?"

"Oh, no. Never. I know it sounds silly to you, but I do love him. I can't go anywhere without him. Besides, he gives me really good advice. He's really smart, you know."

Madeline coughed into her fist, finding Candy horribly awkward. She formed a smile and said: "It's not my place to judge what people do. Nixie kisses her cards and sweet talks them. My father believes his sword knows where to hit the heart of another man. I once dated a guy on ze football team who refused to wash his jockstrap in years because he thinks flies are lucky."

"Ew."

Madeline laughed. Yeah, Candy did not need to know that. "I digress. Cora should be down soon. Don't worry."

"Thank you, Madeline. Uh, it was nice to meet you."

"Oh, it was a pleasure meeting you, my dear. I do hope we can see each other often. You seem like a very nice person."

Before Candy could thank her back, her time with Madeline was stolen just like that. Someone walked past her, smelling heavily of manly cologne. He sported a black blazer and carried a bouquet of roses in one hand. He had long, honey-colored hair tied into a wavy ponytail and his skin was radiant and smooth. He stopped behind Madeline and greeted her in their native language.

"Oui," Madeline said. "I am her. Oh, are zose for me?"

"Yes, yes they are," said the gentleman. "Allow myself to introduce...myself. Merde..."

Madeline giggled. "Getting nervous? Come on, you're doing so well."

Mr. Gael was not impressed. He peered over Candy's shoulder and pouted. "This guy is a loon! Does he really think he's got what it takes to court her?"

The poor boy laughed. "Forgive me. I'm awfully new to these kinds of things. Let me start over. I'm Bartolf from the Noble House of Ludevicus."

Madeline held out her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Bartolf."

Wasting no time, he took her hand and kissed it. "The pleasure is all mine."

"And what brings you to me today? You're all spiffed up and carrying flowers for little me. Why?"

Bartolf coughed into his fist to clear his throat. "Well, I'll be honest, I'm not one who is rather fond of making relationships. I never tried. Ever. My mother and father forced me to find a bride many times, but I would always sail to Normandia to escape their follies. Even if one got lucky enough to be engaged with me, I'd have my men blackmail the House the would-be bride came from."

"Oh, you are plain hard to get, no?"

"I was never interested in finding my special someone. I just want to rule the court on my own. That is...until I saw you at school. I saw you summon those Noble Knights and I followed your Binder page. The more I learned about you, the more I started to gather the courage to speak with you. And here I am."

He handed her the bouquet. Madeline took them and sniffed them. "Oh, zey are lovely. Thank you. But why?"

"Because I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. And a skilled Duelist to boot. Your Noble Knights are lucky to be in the service of one such as you. Please, if you would do me the honor of having dinner with me tonight."

Madeline placed her finger to her lip and looked up, pretending to be difficult. "Oh, I don't know. I sure do have my hands full tonight."

"You should know it's not good for a lady to lie. Especially one as divine as you, Madeline."

"Ah, you see through me like an open book. Well, I suppose we could do something tonight. But you 'ave to impress me first."

"What would you like me to do, my lady? I am willing to do anything."

"Anything?" Madeline bit into a petal of one of the roses with a devious grin. "Mmm, I know. Take off all your clothes and jump into the pool."

"Ugh!"

"Madeline!" Candy gasped.

Mr. Gael hid his eyes behind his paws. "No, no, no! I don't want to see sausages this morning, thank you! Tell me when it's over!"

The girl let out a laugh. "Just kidding. No, we're Termnnian nobility, yes? So how about you show me what you've got wiz a Duel?"

"A Duel? Of course. I am willing to do that. Come, let us play."

He held out his gold watch. It started to glow and formed into D-Pad. He ran for the other side of the pool, which conveniently had enough space to make for a decent playing field. Madeline stood up and her pearl bracelet formed into her Duel Disk. She took out the eyepiece from the slot above the dealer and placed it over her right eye.

A holographic coin flipped. Bartolf won the coin toss and went first.

**LP 8000**

"You wanted a Duel, Madeline. Well, you got it. Just because I want to have dinner with you does not mean I'm going to go easy."

"If you are going to go easy on me, zen be gone with you. Don't underestimate me, boy, give me everything you got."

Mr. Gael patted Candy's shoulder. "Watch and learn, kid."

Bartolf drew. "I'll start things off first. I use Generaider Boss Quest!"

Madeline took a step back. "Merde! A Generaider deck!"

Bartolf smirked. "I see you are familiar with this archetype. Good, because you're in for it. I reveal this Generaider monster in my hand. Now, my Generaider Boss Quest allows me to add these two trap cards from my deck to my hand. Now, the revealed monster goes to the bottom of my deck, like so. Next, I play the Field Spell, Generaider Boss Stage!"

The water in the pool rippled. Then a crystal rose out from it and hovered over their field.

"What iz zis?" Madeline wondered.

"You'll see soon enough. For now, I set three cards face-down and end my turn."

Candy giggled. "What a loser. No monsters to defend himself with. Madeline has got this."

Mr. Gael tugged on a strand of her hair.

"Ow!" she whined.

"What did I teach you about underestimating yer opponents, you dumb bitch! If the kid is confident enough to leave himself with an empty Monster Zone, then his face-down cards could spell bad news for Maddie."

Candy whimpered and rubbed the spot where he pulled. "Oh, right. I forgot. I'm sorry."

Madeline shivered at the sight of Candy speaking to her teddy bear. "Goddesses, she needs to grow up. I draw!"

"And my Generaider Field Spell activates! I can summon Loptr, Shadow of the Generaider! Also, my field allows me to summon as many Generaider Tokens as possible, but I lose them at the end of the turn."

Four crystals hovered onto the field. They spun ominously and displayed 1500 attack points.

"Ah, and thanks to Loptr, my Generaider monsters will gain a 1000 point boost, raising each of my tokens to 2500."

"Well, I'm in a tough spot, that's for sure," Madeline said examining her hand. "But, my Noble Knights will beat those boss monsters of yours. You wait and see. I play the spell, Heritage of the Chalice!"

"And my Loptr will activate his effect. I sacrifice a token to special summon the mighty Hoárr, Generaider Boss of Rumbling!"

The token shattered. The atrium started to shake as a choir began to sing a boss battle theme. Out of nowhere, a giant armored in black and gold loomed over the playing field. He had 3000 ATK but with Loptr's effect, it was now at 4000. The guests around the atrium let out a loud cheer.

"Oh my!" Candy gasped. "Four thousand attack points!"

Mr. Gael nodded. "I told you. Never underestimate your opponent. They'll always have something up their sleeves. Idiot."

"Are you impressed yet, my lady?" Barltof asked as his monster loomed over him.

"Well, as Cora says. Ze bigger zey are, ze 'arder zey fall. As I was saying, my spell allows me to transfer a Noble Knight or Noble Arms card to my hand."

"And my Boss of Rumbling's effect activates!"

"And I chain ze effect of my Flame Noble Knight Olivier! By sending a Fire Warrior monster from my hand to ze Grave, I can special summon him!"

"And my Boss of Rumbling allows me to offer two tokens! Your knight's effect is canceled! Next, I use the trap, Generaider Boss Fight. This allows me to activate a new Boss Stage field from my deck and you get to draw a card. Now, I call upon Nidhogg, Generaider Boss of Ice!"

The giant crystal then summoned a block of ice. It shattered to reveal a giant wyvern colored black with white accents and decorated with gold ornaments. It had 2100 attack points, now 3100 thanks to Loptr.

Madeline bit her lip. Hmm. The Generaider monsters were tougher than she remembered.

Damn. No matter what I do, zey always activate zere effects and summon something bigger for my knights to contend with. And with zat Loptr monster out, zey gain an additional grand. I better be careful or it's game over for me.

"I summon Flame Noble Knight Ogier! And wiz his effect, I send a Flame Noble Knight to my Graveyard."

She summoned a knight in white, red, and black armor. Fairies flew around him, gleefully as if he were their master. One of them touched Madeline on the tip of her nose, telling her everything was going to be alright.

"And now that I 'ave a Fire warrior out, I can special summon, Flame Noble Knight Renaud! Now, wiz his effect, I return Olivier to my hand. Next, I equip Ogier with Flame Noble Arms - Joyeuse and Durendal!"

Ogier held out his hands and two marvelous flaming swords materialized in his grip. He swung the blades around and felt their power surging through him.

"Now, that they are equipped to my monster, I will use him to Synchro Summon ze mighty Flame Noble Knight Vanguard Roland!"

The monster made a gallant appearance to the field with a display of flames. But he did not stay on the field for long.

"Not so fast, Madeline! Your knights are not hot enough to stop the bone-chilling power of Nidhogg. I offer my token and destroy him."

"Oh no!"

Nidhogg fired a beam of absolute zero at Vanguard Roland, freezing him solid. Then it screeched loudly to shatter him to pieces.

"I 'ave had enough! I use the effects of my Flame Noble Arms and bring back Olivier and Astolfo! Now I will tune my knights together and Synchro Summon, Ignoble Knight of High Laundsallyn!"

The black knight of the Round Table laughed menacingly as he appeared out of a vortex of darkness.

"Now, from my deck, I equip him with Noble Arms - Gallatin! Then, my fallen Flame Noble Knights will become equip-spells themselves and will latch on to my dark knight!"

"What's this? But how?"

"Yes! Now I'm all set to take down your bonus! Laundsallyn! Attack and destroy his Loptr!"

Laundsallyn held up Gallatin, which was now flaming with the souls of the Flame Noble Knights that had equipped themselves to him. The sword increased his attack points to 3100. He charged across the pool, running on the water, and then sliced off Loptr's head, destroying him and removing the 1000 point boost.

Bartolf sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I must say, Madeline, that was very impressive. Even though my Generaider monsters threw everything they had at you, you still managed to overcome them and summon more knights to do battle. Now it looks like I must contend with the black knight of the Round Table. Lanudsallyn. Well, lets see what my bosses have in store for him. I draw!"

He examined his options. Not much, but he figured he could make something incredible happen with what he had.

"Again, I play Generaider Boss Quest. I reveal this Generaider monster, send it to the bottom of my deck, and add two Generaider cards to my hand. Excellent! The time has come for you to test your strength against the mightiest boss in my deck, Madeline. Are you up to the challenge?"

Madeline accepted it and balled her fists in anticipation. "You bet. Show me what you've got!"

"Be careful what you wish for, my dear. For now I Overlay my Boss of Ice and Boss of Rumbling to Xyz Summon, the mighty Jormungandr, Generaider Boss of Eternity!"

The atrium suddenly darkened. Only the eerie blue light of the crystals lit the darkness, but not by much. Soon the wind howled and lightning flashed. A loud clap of thunder followed, but Madeline soon realized that it wasn't thunder. It was the roar of the monster. Jormungandr was a towering serpent with black scales, though his underbelly was a purplish-gray color. Red spikes protruded from its head all the way down to its tail, which seemed miles and miles away. He seemed to go on forever, hence the name Boss of Eternity.

He gained 1000 attack points times the materials used to summon him. Since there were only two, his attack was 2000. It wasn't much, but Madeline knew better than to get cocky. These Generaider monsters always have something up their sleeves.

"Look at the size of that thing!" Candy gasped. "He's so massive! Oh, I hope I never have to contend with something like that."

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Mr. Gael said. "You have to be ready to go up against anything in this game! Use your head for once, ya dunce! Come on! Watch. If Madeline can take down these heavyweights, so can you. All monsters got a weakness, and it's up to you to discover what they are."

"But how can something so massive have a weakness?" Candy wondered. "He's so powerful."

"I see you're speechless," said Bartolf. "My opponents usually have nothing to say when Jormungandr comes into play. I will activate his effect. I detach one Xyz material from him and we both draw a card. Now, we have to attach a card from our hands or fields to Jormungandr."

"Fine!" Madeline shouted, tossing her a trap she drew.

Bartolf caught the card and sniffed it, for it had her sweet scent. "Beautiful." He attached it to his Jormungandr card. "Your card will now power my monster. With two more materials attached to my boss, his attack is now 3000. Now, I will use the effect of my Generaider Boss Stage, and call upon Hela, Generaider Boss of Doom! And that shall end my turn."

"I draw!"

"And my Generaider Boss Stage activates!"

"No, not zis time I use zis spell card to negate it and…"

"Yes! I was hoping you would! I reveal my face-down card. Generaider Boss Room. This card works every time you respond to my Generaider cards. Now, I discard a card and my trap will change your effects to have us draw one card. Now, I discard a material to activate Jormungandr's effect! You know what that means! Your card and my card gets attached to my boss, increasing his attack to 4000! Now, with my Boss Stage's effect, I bring back an old friend who refuses to say goodbye. Loptr! And when he's on the field, my Generaider monsters get a 1000 point boost, so now Jormungandr's attack increases to 5000!"

"Oh, Goddesses," Madeline whispered.

"Yes, now I will use my field to…"

"No, not zis time! I discard Morgan the Enchantress. So long as I 'ave a Noble Knight and Noble Arms on ze field. I destroy Gallatin and she can negate ze activation of your spell."

"Nice play. But here's my trap, Generaider Boss Fight. This will switch out my field, for a new one. And now I can resume the fun. I use my Boss Stage to summon Dovelgus, Generaider Boss of Iron!"

The creature he summoned was as tall as a mountain. It slowly rose out of the ground behind Bartolf, making sinister sneers on each of the skull faces it had on its body. It's attack was 1500, now 2500 with Loptr's effect.

"Very well, summon your brutes," said Madeline. "I activate Gallatin's effect from ze grave and re-equip it to Laundsallyn!"

"And I will use the effect of my Boss of Doom to special summon the Boss of Rumbling once again."

Candy felt like she was going to wet herself from the anxiety. They just kept coming and coming. And no matter how many of her gallant knights she summoned, it just wasn't enough to stop Bartolf. Her legs quivered and he hid her face behind her hands.

"I use the effect of Olivier," said Madeline. She didn't want to explain it, for she knew something on the other side of the field was going to activate.

Sure enough, Boss of Rumbling held out his palm and tributed both Boss of Doom and Boss of Iron to negate the summoning of Madeline's knight.

"Merde!" she cursed. She hated this deck. From the Graveyard, she activated the effect of her Flame Noble Knight Maugis, banishing him to return a few cards back to her deck and she drew a card.

Rumbling, once again, held out his palm to activate an effect. His eyes glowed bright blue.

"Oh, now what!?" shouted Madeline.

"When you add a card to your hand, Boss of Rumbling forces you to send a monster from your hand to the Graveyard.

"Oh no," Madeline said sadly, discarding God Phoenix Gearfried to the Graveyard. "I use Heritage of the Chalice and add Flame Noble Knight Ogier. Now I summon him and…"

"Are you going to use an effect? Sorry to disappoint you, my lady. But a little Solemn Judgement will put you into place. It may cost me half my Life Points, but it's a small price to pay to keep those knights from taking down my monsters. Face it, I'm the better Duelist today."

"Well, you gave me ze lead, so I wouldn't be celebrating if I were you. I equip Maugis to Laundsallyn and use him to attack your Boss of Rumbling."

The black knight heeded his master's call and stormed across the water. He jumped up high and slashed the Generaider boss across the face, destroying him. That allowed Madeline to add a card to her hand and she ended her turn.

"I draw! I must admit this is getting interesting."

"It really is," Candy said to herself. "They play so wonderfully. I hope I can Duel in this tier one day."

"I think it's time to end this game, no? I use the effect of my Boss of Eternity. I remove a material and we draw a card. Now, add cards to my Boss, raising his attack back to 5000."

Madeline sighed.

"I will also use the effect of my Boss Stage."

"No, I activate Ash Blossom."

"Ah, ah, ah, remember my Boss Room card? I will change the effect to have us draw a card."

"No, I didn't forget. But at zis point, I'm going to need some cards. I won't lie to you, I'm getting awfully annoyed."

"I'm sorry to hear you're not having fun. But if you just surrender, it will be over soon."

"I will do no such thing. Continue with your turn."

"Very well, my Boss Stage resumes its effect and I summon Utgarda, Generaider Boos of Delusion."

A living, white castle then rose out of the ground. It was brilliantly accented with gold and had yellow roofs on the tops of the pointed towers. It stood in defense mode with a wall of 2700 DEF points to keep Bartolf safe.

"It's time to say goodbye to your Laundsallyn, Madeline, my dear. First, I set a card and I'll attack your Ignoble Knight with Jormungandr!"

The serpent fired a fiery blue beam at her knight. Laundsallyn went on one knee and held up his sword to block the attack. Madeline yelled and grunted as the attack rocked her field. Her Life Points went down to 6400.

"What happened? Why was he not destroyed."

"My Flame Noble Knights protect him from being destroyed," Madeline coughed as she stood back up. "You're going to have to do better than that worm to take them down. They will conquer anything you throw at me. Even your bosses."

"A valiant effort. I end my turn."

"I draw."

"And I summon Boss of Doom with Boss Stage."

"Summon them, I don't care. It won't do you any good anymore."

"So you say, but watch as I use Jormungandr's effect. We draw, we attach and his attack increases to 6000! Now, with my Boss Stage, I summon Generaider Tokens to the field. Next, with Boss of Doom's effect, I sacrifice one to summon an old friend. Boss of Rumbling."

"Great," Candy grumbled. "Now he has what he needs to cancel out all her effects."

Mr. Gael sat down and tapped his paw against his black plastic nose. "I ain't gonna lie, but it looks like our Lionheart friend is indeed in quite a pickle."

"Now that it's ze second turn since I activated his effect, I summon Flame Noble Knight Astolfo!"

"Interesting. Go on."

"You sure about zat? Because he allows me to summon a Fire-Warrior from my Graveyard. Behold, God Phoenix Gearfried!"

"God Phoenix!" Bartolf cried out in shock. "What's this?"

"Now, I summon Flame Noble Knight Roland and give him one of my Flame Noble Arms cards. However, he won't stick around for long. I use him to Link Summon, Isolde, Two Tales of the Noble Knights."

"Sorry, my love. But I activate Solemn Warning. I pay 2000 of my Life Points and negate your monster's summoning. Too bad."

Madeline smiled. "Are you sure about that, Bartolf? I use ze effect of my Flame Noble Arms…"

"And I counter with Boss of Rumbling. I sacrifice two Generaider Tokens to negate the effect of your card."

"I think not, for I use ze effect of God Phoenix Gearfried. I send an Equip Spell, in this case my Flame Noble Knights attached to Laundsallyn, and I can negate your Boss of Rumbling's effect and destroy him."

"NO!"

God Phoenix Gearfried rushed towards the Boss of Rumbling. He held out his bladed arm and cut the beast all the way down to the ground. Boss of Rumbling groaned and exploded.

"Where was I? Oh, yes. I summon Flame Noble Knight Olivier. Then I banish Maugis, returning these cards back to my deck and I can draw a card. Now, I attack your Boss of Delusion with God Phoenix Gearfried."

"Good! Because when it's destroyed, your God Phoenix Gearfriend is banished!"

Madeline stood still and watched as her monster brought down the giant castle, doing so caused her flaming champion to be banished from the game.

"I will not tolerate this any longer. I will now summon the mightiest of the flaming knights of the Round Table. I will use Olivier to Tune with Laundsallyn. Oh, emperor of the holy empires of old. Come forth and use the flames of the swords of justice to bring down the forces of evil! I call upon thee, Flame Noble Knight Emperor Charles!"

"What is this all about?" Bartolf said, shielding his eyes from the bright red flames flickering behind Madeline.

A well-dressed ruler in red and gold stepped out from the flames. His golden hair waved in the wind and his gear clinked with every step he took.

**Flame Noble Knight Emperor Charles**

**ATK/3000 DEF/200**

"Now, from my Graveyard, I equip him with Vanguard Roland and Olivier. Roland gives him a 500 point boost. Next, I equip him wiz Noble Arms Gallatin, and in doing so, he will automatically destroy your Boss of Eternity."

"What? NO!"

Emperor Charles held out Gallatin, and transformed it into a flaming sword with new decorations and ornaments. He yelled and summoned a flaming horse, which he mounted quickly. He pointed his sword at the giant serpent and galloped towards it. The horse grew flaming wings and he flew up to the serpent's head. A flaming aura around the sword made it look like it increased by a hundred feet. Charles slashed the beast across the neck, decapitating it and removing it from the field once and for all.

"My monster!" Bartolf shouted. "You...you defeated him!"

"At last," Madeline said in relief. "And wiz that, I end my turn."

"And I end mine. Go on, my dear. Attack. I have nothing left to play."

Madeline smiled. "As you wish. Emperor Charles, attack!"

Charles raised his sword and then sprinted towards Bartolf. He jumped and then slashed his sword vertically down his body, reducing his Life Points to 0.

"Well played, Madeline. That certainly was an impressive Duel. One of the best I ever had. I have to admit, it was kind of fun."

"Ha, for you anyway. Zey weren't kidding when zey said Generaider monsters were like ze final boss of a video game. Well, I said impress me and you have. So I think you've earned yourself a dinner date, my friend."

Bartolf smiled. "No. I have not. I have not earned that right. I don't think I deserve you until I've defeated you. I want to truly prove myself to you, Madeline. I want to prove that I am worthy enough to have you. Hmm. If that makes any sense."

"No, it does not, but I sort of understand where you're coming from. If that's how you feel, that's how you feel. Thank you for the Duel, though. If you ever want to face me again someday, you know where to find me."

Bartolf bowed. "Thank you, my lady. Until we meet again."

He turned and walked away. And when he did, Madeline and Candy heard a clap coming from the entrance of the pool. Cora had arrived at last. And low and behold, Jericho was right beside her, clad in a tank top to show off her muscles. Candy felt her heart dropping as soon as she saw her and scooted away to avoid being seen.

"Hey, there you are," Cora called out to Candy. She saw the girl looking away and remembered what she told her the night before. "Ah, yes. Jericho. I believe we have some stuff to talk about."

"Like?"

"Candy told me what you've been doing to her, Jericho. Don't act stupid. I can't believe you bullied her! What the hell did she ever do to you?"

Candy put a great deal of effort to turn around and look at Jericho eye-to-eye. "Um, please. I don't want to start any confrontations."

Jericho shrugged and took a quick sip of her espresso. "That's why. What can I say, Cora? She annoyed the shit out of me. She was always so petit, so pathetic. It made me sick. And she always speaks in this squeaky, whispery, voice! She got taken advantage of all the time. I hate seeing anyone act so weak. In a way, she reminded me of that pipsqueak Syrus from Duelist Academy."

"Syrus?"

"Truesdale. Zane's younger brother. How that guy is related to such a badass as Zane is beyond me. I don't see the resemblance at all. I digress. I can't explain it, Cora. People with a lack of confidence are one of my major pet peeves."

"And you believe torturing them is going to give them said confidence?"

"It's the only way she was going to learn. She would have never had the guts to take to the arena had it not been for me. Admit it, Candy. The only reason you started playing was to prove me wrong."

"I won't lie, but yes. I did want to prove you wrong. You and so many others who doubted me."

"Well, look at the way you dress in school. Who wouldn't think of you as a petit little wimp? What the hell is with that loli getup you wear at the academy?"

"It wasn't my idea. Mr. Gael told me to wear it. It...it makes him happy."

Jericho noticed Cora cringing when she said that. She sighed and looked at her. "See? She's a bozo. She blames the state of her attire on her teddy bear."

Madeline shook her head at the ridiculousness of that statement. "That bear isn't the only thing that uniform is making happy at school. Even if that thing did tell you to be all ruffly and fluffy, you can't just decide for yourself?"

"I can't make any decisions for myself. All my life I've had things done for me. I don't even know how to tie my own shoes, or brush my own hair. The only thing I'm truly good at is growing flowers and making stuffed animals. That's what I want to do. I...I don't want to be a Duelist."

"So why the hell are you enrolled in the academy's Dueling Program?" Cora asked. "It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Mr. Gael told me to."

"Oh, fuck me," Jericho said, turning around. She wanted to walk away from the madness. Deep down, she wanted to toss Candy into the pool and rip her bear to shreds or toss it overboard. "Cora, come with me. We need to have a talk."

Cora glared at Jericho for a few seconds before patting Candy on the head. "Hold on, baby. I'll be right back."

Madeline approached Candy and said: "Come, let's see how your Magician Girls fare against my Noble Knights."

Cora looked back and saw Madeline already swarming the field with her knights. Candy only had a Berry Magician Girl out so far, but if she played it right, she could pull off something epic to counter Madeline's knights.

"Come on!" Jericho called.

"Can we talk about this later? I want to see the match."

"No, it's important, Cora. Come on. We need to talk about this."

Cora groaned. She followed Jericho to the entrance. "What?"

"You asked me to be your bodyguard, Cora. You wanted me to protect you, and that's what I'm going to do."

"Protect me? From her? Sure, she's off her rocker, but she's such a darling. She looks like she wouldn't even hurt a fly."

"Look, I know you have it out for every cute girl you meet, but there's something you need to understand, Cora. Have you heard of the Vexen Suite Massacre, Cora?"

Cora nodded. "I heard a few details about it. Uncle Mokuba mentioned it not too long ago, but I wasn't paying attention to much of the details."

"Well, if you had, you would know your little 'darling' was part of it."

All of a sudden Cora felt as if the temperature had dropped. Her chest felt hollow and cold like an empty fridge. "What? No. Her? Really?"

"Seven men were found brutally murdered in the suites of the Vexen Hotel two years ago. There was so much blood that it dripped through the ceilings and flowed down the halls. When the King's knights went up to investigate, they saw something out of a nightmare on the other side of the door. There were men hanging from the ceiling with their intestines. There was another in the bathtub. He had his heart jabbed into his mouth. Body parts were strewn all over the place and a man's head was found boiling inside a cooking pot. When they opened a closet, they found Candy, naked and bloody; holding on to that fucking teddy bear. And she kept muttering the same thing over and over again."

She leaned forward, held her hand over her mouth and whispered: "_It was Mr. Gael. Mr. Gael did it_."

Cora backed up against the wall, breathless. "Her? Jericho...I...Wasn't she put in jail?"

"Nope. Apparently, those guys were kidnappers who grabbed her while she was shopping in the mall. Slavers, no doubt, so I have no sympathy for their deaths. And there was not enough evidence to convict her. They checked all the murder weapons and her fingerprints weren't on any of them. Some say it was a vigilante; it does happen around here, you know. The Cyber Knight and his protege, Infinity. The Knight of Destiny, the Crystal Defender, and Jaden Yuki. But they're good heroes. None of them would brutally murder those guys the way they did. The Knight of Destiny maybe, since his D-HEROES are pretty nasty Eidolons. Still, it doesn't explain Candy constantly blaming that fucking bear. There are some, myself included, who think she's the one who did it. It had to be her. But, what can I say? If you're fond of her, be my guest. Bring her along. We'll all look good with a murderer in the crew."

"If Master Yugi can trust her, so can I. You said so yourself, there wasn't enough evidence. And you're right. There are vigilantes running around Domino, it could have been anyone. Candy...I just feel it in my gut that she's something special."

"Yeah, you thought the same thing about Krissa and look how that turned out. You're not good at making judgments about people, Cora. So far that feeling in your gut has led you to a hell of a lot of problems."

"I don't know what's up with Krissa. That's a more complicated matter. She just can't make up her fucking mind."

"Well, what did you expect, Cora? She seeks you out, gives you a powerful card and then, zing! You get all hot for her. You didn't even give her time. You thought because your name is Kaiba that you can just have anyone you want without any effort. You shoved tons of money at her and bought her expensive gifts expecting to buy your way into her heart. That isn't true love. Of course, she was confused and lost. There was probably something about you she liked if she managed to stick around this long, but I guess she just doesn't like you that way. And you have to accept that."

"I can't. I love her."

"No, you just want to get in her pants. There's a difference between loving someone and lusting for them. You have a problem, Cora. I suggest you fix it. You're like that dancing asshole Johhny Steps but with a vagina."

Cora chuckled. "You really think so, Jericho? I mean, I can't help but feel attracted to pretty girls. It's who I am."

"Nothing wrong with that. If that's your thing, that's your thing. We're free to love whoever we want. But you can't have something with Krissa. You dragged her into a big mess and she isn't happy, Cora. If you truly love Krissa, you'd give her what she wants. And that's space. She forced herself to work at a diner to stay here and pay for that apartment. She's a Priestess from the Temple of Saafani. I'm sure she wants to get back to her duties there, but she has you as a burden. Think about that."

"I don't want to be a burden. That's the last thing I want. I don't want to lose her. I'll talk to her before the event is over. Hopefully, we can figure something out. But if she wants to move on, I guess I have to let her go."

"Hey, keep a chin up. There are plenty of fish in the sea, babe."

"But most of them wind up being piranhas like Clovis."

"Piranhas? Nah, I'd say he's a guppy. Speaking of which, I can't wait for the big match tomorrow night. Oh, and there's also that Duel between you and Alexis that everyone is talking about."

"I can take her."

"Don't be so sure, Cora. She's a legend. They don't call her Queen of Obelisk Blue for nothing. And she's keen on keeping that title even in the university levels. But if you want to give Candy a try, there's nothing I can do to stop you. You're the boss. But, if you promise to be careful around her, I promise I'll try to get along with her. Deal?"

"Deal."

* * *

**The Next Day...**

The sky was beginning to turn metallic blue on the horizon. Cora lay in bed, fidgeting with the crisp edge of her pillow, sliding her fingertips up and down the fabric. Tears slowly dripped down her face. The blue was the same shade as her father's eyes. She sniffed and hiccuped, missing him. He was a strict son of a bitch, but he brought her in from whatever kindness was hidden in that giant stone he called a heart. Just as they were finally getting used to each other, the Rosenkruz Syndrome was reaching its final stages and started taking him away from her. She couldn't even have a chance to say goodbye.

_Sleep..._A soft voice said in her head. Cora felt as though she had one of those moments when her soul had left the body.

_The grace of the white dragon is with him. Do not weep any more, child. He is with me. Sleeeep..._

Cora found the voice to be rather soothing and even wonderful. It was familiar. As if she had heard it before. She felt a cool, refreshing sensation overtake her. Her eyes grew heavy and she closed them just as she saw the bright image of a woman standing over her.

_Sleep..._

* * *

**Seto**

* * *

"I'm sleeping, can't you see?" Seto muttered in his slumber.

He suddenly realized he was not back home. Nor was he in his own world. He heard the sound of birds chirping, waterfalls thundering down a mountain, and the wingbeats of giant dragons overhead. He opened his eyes. Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Hundreds of them. They were flying around in a valley teeming with flowers in all shades of white and blue. They soared in great numbers like a giant flock of birds.

He was laying on a white couch with blue pillows underneath a white pavilion festooned with ivy and glowing, blue flowers that rang like bells from another world. Two bluebirds flew over him, singing gleefully. He followed them and stopped when he saw a beautiful face looking down at him. A woman with pale skin and white-blue hair. On her brow, she donned a tiara of white crafted to resemble a Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon flying around her head. She wore a transparent white gown with the straps clasped to her shoulders with brooches shaped like Blue-Eyes White Dragon heads of sterling silver. Their aquamarine eyes twinkled in the morning sunlight.

Seto reached for her face. He had to make sure this was real. The woman lowered her head so his weak fingers could reach her delicate skin. She was soft and cool to the touch. His fingers burned with a biting chill as if he touched ice. The woman closed her eyes and sighed, rubbing her cheek up and down the palm of his hand.

"I've died and gone to the gardens, haven't I?"

The woman opened her eyes and grinned. "Were you so lucky," she said in a heavenly whisper. She leaned forward and kissed him. Kaiba couldn't move but he didn't care. He felt as if her kiss had rejuvenated him. It was minty and cold. Her hair smelled of lilac and her skin perfumed with something sweet and divine. Possibly not of the world Seto lived in.

The woman released him from her kiss and nuzzled his nose with hers. "It's not your time to die, Seto Kaiba. There is still much you have to do."

"I don't want to go back." He grabbed her by the wrist. "Let me stay with you."

The woman wagged her finger playfully over his face. She got up from the couch and walked towards the edge of the cliff to watch the Blue-Eyes White Dragons fly over her valley. The mountains beside her were shaped like their heads and they spewed towering waterfalls into the pond below where little white dragon hatchlings were learning how to catch fish under the watchful eyes of their mothers.

"Are you a Vollanti?" he asked.

The woman said nothing, but she looked back at him. He couldn't see her eyes behind that beautiful curtain of bluish-white hair, but he saw her lips forming into that warm smile.

"I've been meaning to ask you for the longest time. Did you bring her to me? Cora?"

The woman nodded. "Yes."

Kaiba sat up. "What is she? Why does she get to control the Blue-Eyes? You said they were for me!"

The woman slowly turned and walked back to him. She sat down and placed her hand on his forehead to calm him. "They were meant for all with the blood of the people of Vollantia running through their veins."

"And is she?"

"Is she? What do you think?"

"Don't talk in riddles!"

"There will be a time when all will be revealed. But for now, you must care for her. She needs you. Cora has a far greater purpose in those world than being a Duelist with rare cards in her deck. Cards you worked tirelessly to keep her from having."

"Because those were cards that I thought were rightfully mine. I had to kill in order to find them! I know it was you who commanded me to make three more copies. But I did so reluctantly. Your word matters a great deal to me, but I didn't want this to happen. I didn't want an heir. I didn't want the Blue-Eyes White Dragon to go to anyone else. No one! Especially not her! Some smelly, ill-mannered, spoiled brat from the streets. I couldn't let them go to her. Having her call on them would strip them of their pride."

"They are not yours, Seto."

"You promised they would be mine and mine alone. They were a symbol of how much I meant to you."

The woman shook her head. "The three beasts you've been using all these years are my gift to you. The symbol of a love that has spanned through ages and ages. But the three that have been given to Cora are different. You know them. They told you what to do. Volerion, Anaveen, and Xalden are the Blue-Eyes that Arasik has blessed Cora with. They are why I asked you to make those cards. So they could house their spirits and be with her. Her and only her."

Seto grunted. "So that's why they almost killed my brother."

"They didn't mean to. But how else could they make you understand that they wished to serve another? Do not fret, my dear. The true master of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon this age is you. They are all under your command. Soon, Cora will be as well."

"Her? I don't understand."

"The world needs her. And so do you. She is the key to preserving your dynasty."

Kaiba looked away. "I find that hard to believe. She's defiant and stubborn."

The woman giggled and ran her fingers down his hair. "And are you any different? You've raised her beautifully these past few months, Seto. And as a reward for your good deeds, Cora's hidden power will be yours to control."

"So you did send her my way?"

The woman smiled and looked to the valley. "I did. She is another gift to you from me. You have taken good care of her. Now it's her turn to take care of you."


	33. The Maiden with Eyes of Blue

**Cora**

* * *

Cora opened her eyes, awakening from a deep slumber. She found herself standing in a realm of darkness. She was surrounded by fluffy white clouds and she could make out stars twinkling all around her. The moon was shining brightly, washing the realm in a veil of silver. Cora took a step forward. The ground ran under her feet. She looked down and gasped, feeling vertigo rush through her. She was standing miles high over a city she had never seen before. A city by the sea, surrounded by mountains. It was glowing brightly in the night. At the center of the city was a hill with an ancient ruin at the very top.

Someone walked out of the clouds. A girl dressed in a green parka with a hood trimmed in brown fur. Underneath she had a black tank top, a denim skirt, and torn leggings. Her boots smacked against the invisible floor she and Cora seemed to be standing on.

Cora could make out long, brown hair flowing in front of the moon. She could barely see the girl's face. But she could make out her peculiar eyes. They were glowing photon-blue. She knelt down and slammed her fist into the ground. She drew a very long broadsword. The metal was glowing with the color of her eyes and faded into magenta along the edges. It was a massive weapon, but the girl wielded the weapon like it was a baseball bat.

She spoke in a foreign tongue.

"What?" Cora asked. "How...how do I understand you? What do you want from me?"

"Fight..." the girl finally said in Emboldorian. Suddenly, a vortex looking like a galaxy opened up from behind her. An armored glowing dragon dashed out of it. The great beast stood over forty-feet-tall and had the same colored eyes as the girl who summoned it.

Just then, the Gate to Chaos appeared behind Cora and opened. She turned and saw that her Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon had flown out of it. It landed behind her with a great crash. It looked at the dragon with glowing eyes and roared ferociously. The dragon with glowing eyes roared back, unintimidated by the other beast. Chaos MAX Dragon snarled and spat. Just then, a sword started rising from out of his eye.

It flew gracefully and landed in front of Cora, sticking itself into the invisible ground. The blade was bright white and inlaid with hieroglyphics. The blade was surrounded by a glowing, glittering, blue aura that gave it more length and more width. The guard and handle were crafted to look like the tusks and wings of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. A keychain was hanging from the round sapphire pommel. It was a white flower. The same one that Krissa wore around her neck. Cora picked up the sword and examined it. She gulped, realizing what it was she had to do. She and her Chaos MAX Dragon had to fight against this beast.

The girl with glowing eyes chuckled, glad to see that Cora and her beast were ready for combat.

Again the girl spoke in a foreign language. And she dashed forward, attacking Cora. Cora raised her weapon and shielded herself from the attack. The two blades sparked upon making contact. The girl vanished into a streak of blue. Cora realized that her Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon tried to swipe her with his claws. The girl appeared out of a mist of glowing blue light and attacked Cora again. Cora dodged the blow and again the girl disappeared. But then the girl's dragon fired a photon beam at the Chaos MAX Dragon. Cora shielded herself from the explosion. The noise was deafening and the heat from the other dragon's attack was white-hot.

Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon brushed it off and unleashed its own beam of energy at the other dragon. The dragon with glowing eyes dodged the attack and circled around the battlefield to chase after Chaos MAX. Cora had her eyes on the two giants, unaware that the girl had appeared hanging upside down and aiming a handheld crossbow. She fired and a blue bolt zoomed out and splintered into hundreds of missiles.

Chaos MAX Dragon was about to help Cora, but the dragon with glowing eyes tackled him with a loud smack. They snapped and snarled as they tumbled into the clouds.

"You and me!" the girl shouted, zooming all over the battleground like she was a blur.

Cora couldn't keep up with her. It was like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands or trying to see wind with the naked eye. Every time the girl steaked into a new direction, she let out a deep metallic hum. The sword in Cora's hand started glowing. It suddenly filled her mind with knowledge. Her eyes started glowing into the most beautiful shade of blue. Cora heard the hum of the girl and then held up her sword, summoning a streak of white lightning. It struck the girl, paralyzing her. She fell to the ground with a splat, her broadsword bouncing up and down. Cora then grew wings like her Deep-Eyes White Dragon and sped towards the girl with amazing speed.

The girl recovered quickly and backflipped away to avoid the swipes of Cora's blade, which seemed to extend farther thanks to the aura surrounding it. The girl held up her wrist and created a shield with blue hexagon-shaped tiles to defend herself. Cora screamed and smashed her weapon on the shield until it started to crack like glass.

Their dragons continued fighting one another in the heavens above. They were locked claw-to-claw, trying to out-wrestle one another. Chaos MAX Dragon gathered all his strength and lifted the dragon with glowing eyes by its arms. It snarled in pain. Chaos MAX Dragon spun and tossed the beast into the battlefield. Cora and the girl flew out of the way as the dragon smacked on the invisible ground with a great crash, causing the clouds to disperse.

"Heal!" the girl shouted, lifting her sword and creating a brilliant display of blue flowers and arcane glyphs, which rained down on her dragon, giving it the strength to stand up.

Chaos MAX Dragon would have none of that and unleashed his most powerful attack. All the diamond-shaped crystals on his body started glowing and released a multi-directional laser assault. The dragon with glowing eyes rolled out of the way, his beautiful master jumped to avoid him. She turned into a blur again teleporting here and there to dodge the assault. The lasers let out a loud screeching hum and then muffled as the dragon ceased its attack. The girl appeared in front of Cora, then the dragon with glowing eyes soared up and stopped in front of the moon.

Cora was ready. Whatever this new power was, she was ready to use it and hopefully stop this girl from wanting to do battle anymore. The dragon with glowing eyes landed behind her, its feet shook the ground. Both the girls and the dragons stared each other down. They charged toward one another. The two dragons roared and soared after their masters. They clashed at the center of the battlefield, fighting for dominance without remorse. The two dragons flapped their wings, slashed, and bit one another as their two masters fought below them.

Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon roared and fired a powerful beam of energy at the dragon with glowing eyes. It burned the dragon's core and caused pieces of its armor to fall off.

"I see," said the girl. "Looks like I'll have to rank him up to stand toe-to-toe against your beast." She raised her sword and held it up in front of her wounded dragon. She performed a chant, calling up the power of the stars of heaven's field to bless her beast with their power. The stars twinkled and it was so. They shined beams of light at the dragon with glowing eyes.

"Galaxy-Eyes Prime Photon Dragon! Rise!" the girl shouted.

"Galaxy-Eyes?" Cora whispered.

The Galaxy-Eyes Dragon rose up and felt the power of the stars fill its body with great strength. It began to transform. Its tail grew longer as did its pauldrons, which grew appendages that looked like tails. The powerful beast gave a mighty roar causing all the lights in the city below to flicker and finally go out.

The last thing that Cora saw before it attacked was the girl's smiling face right in front of her in an instant.

* * *

There was a sharp knocking at the door. Cora jumped awake, startling Krissa who was on the computer. What she was doing, Cora did not know, but it seemed oddly suspicious. As soon as she saw that Cora had woken up, she clicked out of the screen she was in earlier and was on a website for funny videos.

Yumi walked out of the bathroom, drying her hands with her shirt, and answered the door. Nixie and Kasumi walked in and were shocked to see Cora still asleep.

"Cora, are you serious?" Nixie said, placing her hands on her hips. "It's almost six in the evening. The matches are about to start. What are you doing still asleep? You didn't have that much fun with Krissa last night, did you?"

Krissa turned her head slowly with a blank expression. "No. We did not. I slept on the window seat. It's much better there."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Cora grumbled, flicking her off behind her back.

Kasumi swallowed, finding the sudden tension to be rather uncomfortable. "Uh, can we see you outside Cora?"

Cora sighed and rubbed her hands over her eyes. "Let me find some pants."

"They're under your pillow," Yumi said. "I washed them for you. Goddesses only know how long it would be before you did."

Cora slipped on her jeans and followed her friends to the hall. She saw that all the warm lights were turned on for the evening, making her feel guilty that she had slept for so long.

"What's going on?" Nixie asked, shutting the door. "You two were so happy together these past few months. And now you won't even look at each other. Please tell me everything is going well."

Cora crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. She slumped against the wall and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it would keep her tears from welling up. "No. No, it's not going well. I talked to her and asked what she wanted to do after we got the money for the apartment. She said she was going to gather her things and leave." Cora balled her fists. Huge tears flooded through her eyelashes and dripped down her cheeks in large drops. "Fuck! I thought I was making her happy. I thought she wanted to be with me. But...I'm not the one she wants after all."

Kasumi placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it. "It's okay."

"Why did it take her so fucking long?" Cora groaned.

Nixie scoffed. "That's what I'd like to know. Bitch."

"Hey, don't be rough on her," Kasumi said. "Krissa was put in a tough spot, and all this pushing her to like Cora wasn't helping. Making her the bad guy isn't the right thing to do. She did nothing wrong. Cora, look at me. You wanted to find love; there's nothing wrong with that. But for some people, money isn't the key to their hearts. Krissa wanted to try; she really did. I saw her. She poured her heart and soul into your relationship and it told her no. You must come to terms with the fact that this isn't the path she wanted. What did you say to her last night after she told you she wanted to leave?"

"I cussed her out, yeah, it was a stupid thing to do, but I was so pissed. We got into this big fight and decided we wanted nothing more to do with each other. All that time, all that money. All the sacrifices I made to keep her here and show her how much I loved her. It was all for nothing."

Kasumi patted her shoulder. "Well, I remember when you first met. She was pretty hesitant. Cora, I wasn't even sure if she wanted to kiss you. She tried to tell you before, but you didn't listen. You just wanted things to work out for yourself, not for her. You put your happiness over hers, and that's no way for a relationship to work. Krissa resorted to working at a sleazy pizza restaurant for a few silver coins. She was a Priestess back wherever she came from. The city life probably had that effect, too. I mean, come on, this is no life for a person born into medieval culture. If anything, you should apologize to her and let her go. It's the right thing to do."

"I don't want to speak to her."

"Cora, the silent treatment is a juvenile way to handle this. Work out your problems so that you can leave on a high note. She did travel a long way to give you a rare card. The Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon. That was her purpose for meeting you in the first place. Now let her see it through and say goodbye when it's time to dock."

"I'd like that if she'd let me," Krissa said from the other side of the door.

Kasumi opened the door. Cora turned her back on Krissa as soon as she came out.

"Cora!" Kasumi almost yelled her name. "Be a grown-up and finish this the right way."

Cora didn't move.

Krissa stepped toward Cora; hands behind her back. "I know we said some horrible things to each other last night. That was awful. It's no way for us to end things. Especially not after all we've been through. Regardless of what you might think, Cora, I was happy with you. Not as lovers, but as a friend. You're such a wonderful person. You're a hard worker, a great Duelist, and you're there for your friends when they need you. You were there for me most of all and I appreciate that. You risked so much for us both. But I don't love you that way. I tried and I tried, but my heart kept telling me it's not right. We weren't destined for each other" — Cora did not move. Instead, she let out a loud and stern 'hmph!' — "Oh, Cora, don't be like that. I'm happy with you. I'm happy with the group. I felt like I was part of a real family. I loved being with Nixie, Kasumi, Madeline, Jericho, M' Bakuuan, Amy, Brandy, and Miss Yumi. Regardless of how things are, I still want to be your friend. Please."

Cora stood still for what felt like an eternity. She sighed and rubbed her hands up and down her biceps. "When we dock, I'll pay for your ticket back to wherever you came from. Go back to the temple, Krissa. You belong there."

"We can still see each other. Won't we? Cora?"

"No. Go home and never come back. I never want to see you again, Krissa. Thanks for the Azure-Eyes, though. I'll take good care of it and make sure to use it well. Goodbye." She stormed down the halls.

Krissa placed her hands to her chest, feeling her heart breaking into a thousand pieces as she heard Cora sobbing. Cora turned to the left and went out of sight.

"Sorry," Krissa whispered. Tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Aw, honey," Nixie rubbed her back.

Krissa wiped her tears with her palms. The silver bracelet Cora gave her flashed in the light and jingled. She sniffed sadly and ran her finger down the charms on her bracelet. "Nixie. I wanted it to work out but…"

"Shh, it's okay. It's not your fault. Things like this can never be rushed. Cora had to learn that lesson the hard way. Hey, dry those tears. Look, I'll give you my number. You can stay in contact with me if you want."

"And me as well," Kasumi said, kissing her on the cheek. "You'll always be welcome in my home. Always."

Yumi came out holding True Exodia in her arms. "Hey, we're friends, too. You can always come to visit me, too."

True Exodia waved his stubby arms in excitement. "Uh-huh, she's the daughter of Yugi Muto, remember? We're gonna be making' big bucks when I make this little lady go pro, so you'll have a place to crash if you're ever in town."

Nixie rolled her eyes. "Yumi can Duel herself. She doesn't need you, pussy!"

"Shut up, pussy! I wasn't talking to you."

After that little spat, they all broke out into a laugh. Meanwhile, Cora continued to dash through the halls, wondering what in the world she was going to do now. Seto was probably going to die and now Krissa would soon be leaving her. As she was about to find a way out of the hall, a hand fell on her shoulder. Cora gasped and turned quickly. Jack was smiling at her.

"Where are you running off to?" he asked softly.

"I'm not running anywhere," Cora said, yanking her shoulder free from his grip. "What the hell do you want?"

"I want to know what's wrong with you first and foremost. You're going to be the star of tonight's duels. What in the world would distress you so much that you'd be crying at such a time?"

"I'm not crying," Cora said, blinking her eyes and drying them with her wrist. "There was just a lot of dust in there and it's irritating me."

"Now, now, now. It's not very lady-like for you to be lying. I can clearly see you're lying little one."

Cora sniffed. "Krissa...she...doesn't want to be with me anymore. So I...so I..."

Jack rubbed her back. "There, there. Take your time."

"So I let her go."

"Sometimes choices like that are for the best. You know, Kasumi and I called off the wedding just yesterday. We didn't love each other, either. I tried my best to make it work, as did she, but love between us just wasn't in the cards."

"I'm sorry to hear that. For a moment, it seemed like you two were the perfect match."

"Our parents thought the same. Now, I know it's not my place to say, but shouldn't you be getting ready for the games tonight?"

"I don't think I'm in the mood."

"I insist, Cora. Please. At least let me treat you to some dinner. The cooks brought up large portions of steak and I can't finish them on my own."

"Steak?" Cora smiled. "Well...I am a little hungry. All right. All right. I guess I'll give you the honor of entertaining me before the matches."

"Ah, I'm glad to hear that. Come. My room is just down this way."

"Okay, but let's make this quick. I have a Duel with Alexis in an hour."

* * *

**Krissa**

* * *

The sun had finally gone down and the fields of heaven turned black and became lit with endless stars. Krissa zipped up her jacket and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. The stars twinkling brightly in the sky reminded her of the legendary Star Queen. She started to sing.

* * *

**Evangelia was a darling Queen**

**Whom starry dragons proudly sing**

**Her merry realm stretched wide and far**

**By Singing Sea and under stars.**

* * *

**Her heart was pure, her reign brought glee**

**Her people lived in harmony**

**Infinite stars of heaven's skies**

**Reflected in her gorgeous eyes.**

* * *

**Her sword shined bright, her crown, it gleamed**

**Her celestial gown from far was seen**

**Her foes then wept with guilty cries**

**When looking at her starry eyes.**

* * *

**She smiled as she ruled the land**

**Galaxy-Eyes at her command**

**Their mighty wings brought endless light**

**The realm shined brightly in her might.**

* * *

**Then long ago, she flew away**

**And where she'd gone to, none can say**

**Termnnia lost her brightest star**

**Now it's a land where monsters are.**

* * *

**O' long ago, she flew away**

**And soon the light began to sway**

**Termnnia lost her brightest star**

**Now it's a land where monsters are.**

* * *

"I forgot how beautiful your voice was," said a girl, hooded and cloaked.

Krissa gasped and jumped in fright. She looked at the figure who was cutting a blue-colored apple as she leaned against the wall, almost concealed by the darkness.

"You!" Krissa whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come for you. And Cora. You didn't think you could hide from her forever, did you?"

Krissa shook her head repeatedly. "W-wait, wait!" She backed up nervously until she was against the railing. She gasped and looked over her shoulder at the dark waters below. "No...no you don't understand. I...I...things have grown complicated in this world."

"Yes. I know. You fell in love with her." The girl ate a slice of the apple. The wind blew, causing her hood to flap up and down, revealing glowing blue-eyes in the darkness. "I told you time and time again not to be involved in the affairs of this world. Look what happened. You went rogue. You fled from Safaani. You fled from your brothers and sisters. And now look at you. You fell in love with a human" — she shrugged her shoulders—"not to my surprise. I knew you would get attached to her and grow soft."

"I didn't want to be her mate. I tried to keep my heart at bay, but Cora...she...she's just so special. She's so kind, generous, and so, so, beautiful."

"She is not even your kind, Krissa. Tell me. If Cora knew what you really were, do you think she would have fallen in love with you the way she did? Hmm?"

"You don't think I've already taken that into consideration? I had to fight with her and say terrible things to finally put my feelings at bay."

"I don't care for this drama between you and her. The point of the matter is, Safaani tasked me with finding you and her. I'll start with you first. Arasik wants your head, deserter. The girl held open her palm and katana that looked like blue neon light made into solid steel materialized over it. She gripped it with all her might and sniggered. "Seto Kaiba is dying. The Banner of Yeyu has been birthed and the users have now begun harvesting souls. And you play around with humans. Your mind has been poisoned by this world, my old friend. There is no hope for you now. You must be dealt with."

"But—"

The tip of the katana touched Krissa's nose. She shivered and sobbed. All of a sudden, she worked up the courage to look at the girl and stand up to her. "You know what happens to those who desert from the realm, Krissa. You broke the law, now you must pay the price."

"NO!" Krissa shouted. She jumped overboard and then the night went still. Suddenly, a dragon swooped up from the water and hovered next to the side of the ship. A Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon. That was Krissa's true form. That was who she really was. And now she would unleash her fury upon the hooded girl.

"Very good, Krissa," said the girl. "But not even the strength of the mighty Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon will be enough to stop the wrath of the Legendary Dragon of White."

A loud roar echoed from above. Krissa turned and saw Túltóron the Legendary Dragon of White soaring towards her. He was as colossal and majestic as the tales she heard. His body looked like it was made of platinum and instead of blue, his eyes were glowing like molten gold. A long, golden mane flew from underneath his head crest. Krissa felt fear and dishonor fill her body. The beast, who was named chief of the Blue-Eyes, was coming to attack her. It was at this very moment that she knew...WHACK! Túltóron smashed into her and threw her in the water. Krissa flew back up to the surface and fired a bright blue beam of energy at the first and mightiest of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Túltóron took the hit like it was nothing then fired bright yellow beams from his eyes. It struck her in the wing cracking one of the orbs. Krissa felt like she had stuck her wing in lava, the pain was extreme. That was just the Legendary Dragon of White's weakest attack. She knew she had no chance. She had to lose him and get the hell out of here. She took off into the sky, Túltóron was not far behind. He fired a stream of white energy at her, the attack was so powerful, the clouds caught in its way were blown away like puffs of dust.

Krissa dodged the attack, trying to get away from him. But he was so big and so fast. There was no way something that monstrous in size could fly so quickly, it was impossible. She yelped when she felt something hard clamping down on her tail. She turned and saw that Túltóron had bitten down on it, cracking the metal-hard flesh. Then, with an amazing feat of strength, Túltóron spun her around violently and tossed her into a lonely island below. She smashed through the mountains, knocking them down, and collapsed into a ravine. Túltóron exhaled deeply and fired his white beam of destruction, showering Krissa with white-hot energy that caused the island to splinter.

When the dust was gone, it revealed a crater. Krissa was back in her human form. She was naked and burnt. She turned over and vomited blood. It was over. This was it for sure. Túltóron roared victoriously in the sky. Meanwhile, Krissa coughed and heard the sound of boots crunching the pebbles on the ground. She glanced upward and saw the hooded girl gazing down at her, the moonlight revealing a smile in the darkness of her hood.

"You still have much to learn," she teased. "You were the Shining Dragon. Arasik's brightest angel. Such a shame it had to be this way." The hooded girl raised her katana. It let out a loud woosh as it took to the air.

Krissa sighed and hung her head in shame. She extended her neck and waited for the killing blow.

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

"Do you enjoy your dinner?" Jack asked.

Cora eagerly cut into her steak, even though she was still in the middle of chewing the piece she cut out earlier. "Oh, dude, this stuff is amazing. Man, Prince Michael hired himself some pretty good cooks." She noticed a picture of Jack and Kasumi on the side table nearby. They were hugging on the beach. "Tell me, Jack. How was it that you couldn't fall in love with a total babe like Kasumi? She's beautiful, rich, a great Duelist, and a Princess from a long line of royalty that goes back to the Guan-Zu Dynasty. I mean, that's ancient. We're talking First Age of the Sun here. How many Great Houses in Termnnia can still say they have that kind of lineage?"

Jack grinned and poured himself some wine. He looked out the glass wall of his suite at the dark ocean outside. "I had my eye out on another girl."

"Oh?" Cora stuffed another piece of steak into her mouth and chewed. "Mmm. She must have been a real catch if she kept you from having any feelings toward Kasumi. Might I ask who was this girl?"

The boy chuckled and shrugged. "Oh, she was the heir of an even greater dynasty. She was far richer and far more beautiful than Kasumi. I would have stood up for myself, but being a family member of the East Termnnian Trading Company has its setbacks. I must do what they say."

"Must be terrible," said Cora.

"Oh, my dear, you have no idea. They tell you how to walk, how to behave, and who you must fall in love with. If the one we hold dear doesn't benefit our empire, then the family wants them to have no part in it. I must admit it drove me quite mad. I began to thirst for my own freedom."

Cora wiped her chin with a handkerchief. "Yeah, I can relate. It's the same back home. My first few days in House Kaiba were some of my worst. I had to stand up straight as I walked, I needed to eat using more tools than a swiss army knife. Augh. And Ms. Goldwine always slapped my poor ass every time I said a curse word or behaved in a way that Seto didn't approve of." Cora looked out the window and took a deep, sad, breath. "I miss her."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to get her back. You're capable of amazing things, Cora. I don't know what kind of plan the Goddesses put you in, but I'm sure you will fulfill that plan beyond their expectations."

"I seriously doubt that's the case. I was just in the right place at the right time."

"Coincidence?"

"Something like that."

"You naughty girl. How can you live in a world such as this and believe in coincidence? Kaiba is not a firm believer in faith, but I'm more than sure he understands the magic that makes up our world."

"Magic is real. We can see it and use it. But faith? Even I'm a little skeptical about things such as that. If you ask me faith is just a fancy way of saying luck. I don't wield the White Dragon of House Kaiba because it was faith. I just have the skills to use them, and that's that."

"But what about the blood?"

"Blood?"

"Yes, Cora, the blood that runs through your veins. How do you know it's of House Kaiba? Or even Ronsenkruz if you want to get dramatic."

"I really don't know, Jack. All I know is that I'm a girl from nowhere. In all honesty, I don't even know why I'm here or how this all happened. I don't have any recollection of where I'm from or who gave birth to me. Sometimes I feel as if the road just spat me out, you know. Truth be told, I realized I have no business being in this family."

She took out her deck and looked at the Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon at the bottom. She slid her thumb down the rising image of the ultimate rare card.

"I have no reason to be wielding creatures that were meant to be in the hands of Seto Kaiba and his family. His real family. It saddens me to say this, but I can't consider myself his family. Not just because I can play with some fancy cards. I know these three dragons Seto blessed me with are different, but even then, using them is a bit of a stretch for someone like me. Even though I've been using them for months and have been told over a hundred times that it's my destiny to have them, there's this cloud of doubt enveloping my heart. I feel like I'm not supposed to have them. But somehow, someway, I am, and I don't know why."

"You are not happy with this gift?"

Cora chuckled softly. "Naw, I'm happy alright. But...I just don't know if they're really meant for me."

"Of course, they are! You know the Blue-Eyes White Dragons will kill those unworthy to use them, right? It's kind of why I'm hoping you lose to Clovis when you Duel him for your dragons. If he even tries to hold them, I can't wait to see them fry him to oblivion."

Cora snapped her fingers. "Ha. That isn't going to happen. Trust me. I've kicked Prince Clovis's ass a gazillion times."

"I'm not even sure that's a number."

"Well, you see, they had to invent that number because that's how many times I've beaten him."

Jack laughed and wagged his finger at her. "Clever, clever," he said. "You're so sharp on the tongue. That's what turns me on about you, Cora. Your attitude. Your don't-give-a-shit attitude."

"You've seen those?" She paused awkwardly and scooted away. "Hold on, did you say I turn you on? What the fuck, Jack?"

"Oh, yes, Cora, you're the girl I've been talking about. You're the one I want."

"You ditched Kasumi because you have the hots for me?"

"I will not lie to you. Yes, that's the truth. The moment I saw you, all interest in her —what little there was— faded away. You're richer than her and far more beautiful." He smiled. "Far, far more beautiful. You know, I'm an avid follower of yours on all the platforms you use. I love all those naughty pictures of yours. I see you like showing off your ass a lot. And it's a big one, my compliments. Goddesses, girl, what do you feed that thing?"

"Incel tears," Cora replied sharply. She was getting more and more creeped out by the conversation. More than anything, she wanted to leave. "Jack, you really need to set your priorities straight. You can't just abandon your marriage with her like this. You don't love me. You just want a more valuable trophy wife. That's all this is about." She paused and bit her lip. "I guess, I can't really call you out on that since I committed the same sin. Oh no! Krissa! I...I have to apologize to her!"

"She a friend of yours?"

"That's none of your concern! But yeah, you just want to find someone even better to wrap your arm around for the sake of looking good for your family. Well, I'm sorry to say, I'm not interested."

Jack scoffed and stood up. He took off his blazer and started unbuttoning his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Cora shouted. "Jack, no! Stop!"

Jack ripped off his shirt to show off his good form. "Are you impressed?"

"Okay, you've got nice abs, but there's a problem." She pointed at his crotch.

It took a moment for Jack to understand what she was saying. "Oh, I see. Yes, that explains why you stared at Kasumi the way you did. Why you're always patting the butts of all your lady friends. And that kiss I saw you planting on Krissa. So...you like other girls it seems."

"Yes. That's who I am. I don't care how hot you are, Jack. I'm not interested."

"You're not interested because you've never experienced it with a man before." He sauntered towards her with that creepy smile of his.

"Don't you fucking dare!" Cora shouted.

Jack grabbed her by the wrist. "Come on, Cora. You'll like it. I promise."

"Stop it! I swear when my father wakes up —"

"—he isn't going to wake up, Cora. Nobody can survive the Rosenkruz Syndrome. Don't you see? I'm the only man you have left to look up to. We'll rule your father's empire together. Just you and me. And little Mokuba, too."

"You are not getting anything! Let me go!"

Then the door slammed off its hinges, crashing onto the floor. Kasumi burst into the room, a fiery aura enveloping her. "JACK!" she shouted. "Get your hands off her!"

Jack backed away babbling in terror. What was coming to him was about to hurt really, really bad. "No, no, no. Listen to me, honey, take it easy... Kasumi! Calm down. Stop! Don't do something you're going to regret. WAIT!"

Kasumi sprinted towards him in a flash of red. She started assaulting him with an unending rain of punches that cracked his bones and burst his organs. She smashed him between the legs, ruining the family line, then kicked him so hard, she broke his jaw and sent him flying towards the wall. He smashed into it, cracking the glass. Kasumi's fists were enveloped in a fiery red aura that turned into two dragon heads. They roared, thirsting to punish Jack for everything he did to Kasumi and for what he was going to do to Cora. Kasumi jumped over the dinner table and started punching him a thousand times, screaming like a madwoman. Her strikes were so fast it looked like she only hit him seven times. She finally smashed his face with one last attack. He flew out the window, the glass shattering all around him. He screamed as he soared out into the ocean and splashed into a watery grave.

The aura surrounding Kasumi died down. She panted heavily, trying to calm herself. Then she remembered her friend. "Cora!" Kasumi cried. She ran towards her and helped her up. "Are you okay?"

Cora's lips trembled and she sobbed, burying her face in Kasumi's chest. Kasumi gently caressed the back of Cora's head and let her cry. "Alright, alright," she said. "It's okay."

Cora could contain herself no more. She didn't know what it was that came over her. Tonight, was just so horrible. Losing Krissa, then the situation with Jack. And seeing Kasumi overkilling him. She lost control of her emotions. That was all she ran on at the moment. Emotion. She looked up at Kasumi, wrapped her arms around her neck, and kissed her. Kasumi gasped. She was confused at first, but her lips slowly formed into a smile. She closed her eyes and just accepted Cora's kiss. She hugged Cora, bringing her in closer. Cora felt something warm in her heart. A feeling she couldn't get when she kissed Krissa. A feeling of recognition. Acceptance. Kasumi didn't let her go, she just held her tightly as if she wanted to be embraced by the kiss forever. Was this true love? Only time would tell. But deep down, Cora and Kasumi both felt the desire to make it work.

When their lips were unglued, Kasumi looked into Cora's eyes and smiled. "Wow! You're...you're good."

Cora laughed. "You too." She looked over her shoulder at the broken window. "Oh, shit! But what about—"

Kasumi pressed a finger on Cora's lips. "Relax. I'll take care of this. But you, you have a Duel to win, don't you? If I'm not mistaken, you're in the next match card. Princess Alexis Rhodes. Be careful, Cora. She was one of the best students in the High School Division of Duelist Academy. Give it all you've got, my friend."

"Kass, how can you think of Dueling at a time like this? You just...you just ultra-comboed Jack's ass off the ship. He's one of the sons of the Termnnian Trading Company, girl. We're in deep shit!"

"I said I'll take care of this. Trust me. We're not going to be punished for this mess. Not after what he was about to do to you. Go, hurry, the show is about to start."

Cora hugged Kasumi one last time before running out into the halls. She dashed to her room to gather her things for her Duel against Alexis. Still shaken from her experience, she drank about half of the bottle of Nixie's scotch to collect herself. It was a dreadful experience, one that would haunt her for the rest of her life. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she vowed she would never again let anyone take advantage of her like that again. She was going to make them pay dearly, just like Kasumi did. If only she had the strength to learn some secret, ancient, martial art and had the strength to send people flying out the window with a powerful punch. "I'll learn," she said, taking another gulp of scotch. "One way or another I'll learn. You have to learn!" She shouted while pointing at her reflection. "Let all those assholes know you're not one to mess with anymore. You're not Little Princess Kaiba! You're fucking Cora BITCH! Nobody is going to screw with you again!" She slapped her cheeks repeatedly. "Wooo! Lookout, Alexis. I'm going to give you such an ass-whooping tonight!"

She dressed in her best clothes and took an elevator to the deck where the event was going to take place. The glass walls revealed all the passengers running all over the ship to get good seats for the event. She saw a holographic billboard revealing the match card. She saw her and Alexis posing aggressively behind a curtain of blue fire. Their names were displayed underneath them in steel font outlined with neon blue reading:

**1st Main Event**

**Alexis Rhodes vs Cora Kaiba**

The two of them were closed black and white hued with dark blue to match the colors of the event. Behind Alexis, one of her Cyber Angels, Dakini, stared crisply at the viewers. Alexis was clad in a black cap placed backward and a long-sleeved mesh over a black tank top. "Huh," said Cora. "She looks more like a street punk than a Termnnian princess in that getup." She giggled. "Oh my. What would her Queen-mother think?" She then spotted Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon was moving his head from side to side. He could barely be seen in the dark backdrop but his glowing blue eyes and neon patterns pierced the darkness.

"Epic!" Cora thought to herself. As the elevator got nearer to the deck, she could hear loud music and the sound of an eager crowd booming through the walls. They finally opened and the sounds intensified. Beams of blue light flashed back and forth in the sky, which was alight with fireworks. Once again, the guests were gathered around the pool. Up on a stage, a DJ was blasting music and multi-colored lasers flashed across the deck. She Alexis dancing with Zane by the edge of the pool clad in the same clothes as her match card photo. Yup, hard to believe she was a princess representing her country. Cora read about much of Alexis's diplomatic achievements in the papers, breaking deals with warlords to stabilize peace in the lawless territories of her kingdom, Aquarius, making beautiful speeches to rally people together against the current unfair treatment of Elves and Dwarves and other non-human races in Eredas, and attending charitable foundations for orphanages and schools across her country and this one. In those scenes, she was wearing expensive dresses, crisp suits, and other luxury attire. But here, on this ship, she seemed to let her libido go free. Who could blame her? She entered the age of adulthood and was on her way to begin her university life and escape the constant nagging of her mother. Tonight was a night to let loose and just be Alexis and not a princess. Prince Michael was right in front of the stage with girls in each arm. A Prince of the Alliance and a future Noble Knight of the Royal Termnnian Table dancing, drinking, and hobnobbing with girls.

"Hey, there you are!" said Nixie. She danced her way towards Cora, her green and blue LED hair extensions bounced around. "I thought for a second that you weren't going to make it."

"What!" Cora shouted over the music.

"I said I thought you weren't going to make it!" Nixie shouted back. "What took you so long? The event is about to start?"

"I'm in one of the main events of the show!" Cora yelled. "I've got plenty of time!"

"Yeah, well, don't get cocky, Cora. Princess Alexis ain't no pushover. She's really good."

"So I've been told," said Cora. "Makes me even more pumped up for our match." She took a look around. "Where's Krissa?"

"Why?"

"I have to apologize to her. You guys were right. I pushed her to like me and I was so selfish that I failed to understand how she felt. I was wrong."

"I don't know, Cora. No one has seen her since you two had your falling out outside the room. But maybe she'll turn up during the show."

Forty minutes later the crowd was informed that Zane and Michaels Dueling Revolution at Sea was ready to begin. Camera crews started rolling and there was a countdown for when the show was live. "Three...two...one!" Pyrotechnics exploded around the pool, which would serve as the arena for the night's event. The best Duelists in the East were about to compete in this exclusive invite-only event and prove their worth in front of the whole kingdom.

The first match of the night was Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood versus the tag team from a local Dueling division called the NEU —North Eredas United. The duo's names were Hollywood who specialized in the Dinowrestler archetype and Vegas who used Gouki monsters. When the two Duelists approached the arena, they held up their microphones toward the crowd when the lyrics of their entrance shouted NEU. They had colorful uniforms with vests, which showed off their well-formed cores and arms.

Ass-kickers from the Sykrall Valley hills!

N-E-U!

Beating noobs with our skills!

N-E-U!

"These guys don't look so tough!" sneered Rex Raptor.

Weevil adjusted his glasses. "They'll be easy pickings if you follow my lead."

"Follow your lead!" shouted Rex. "We always lose every time I listen to you!"

Cora wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Ugh, I've faced off against those two creeps before."

"Rex and Weevil?" Nixie asked as Rex started the game off with Giant Rex and Uraby. He set two cards face-down and ended his turn.

"Yeah, they tried to take my Blue-Eyes White Dragons and take provocative pictures of me while I was swimming at the beach behind the campus. I made them pay. Any sigh of Krissa?"

"No, I haven't seen her," Krissa said looking around, but she tried to keep her eyes on the match.

The screens displayed a young woman standing in front of a wheel with pictures depicting flames, water, three cards, a big X over Fusion, Link, Synchro, and Xyz cards, and all sorts of things. She spun the wheel. Prince Michael was handed a microphone and tapped on it to get everyone's attention. He explained that the wheel held all kinds of stipulations and the Duelists got stuck with whatever it landed on. There were inferno matches, hardcore matches, matches where you could only keep a one-card hand or where you couldn't use your extra deck. The wheel stopped and revealed a…

"CAGE!" everyone shouted. Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood were going to battle NEU in a cage match!

Drones flew toward the field carrying a massive steel cage. They lowered it over the arena, trapping the Duelists. When it was set, the drones took off into the night, and the bell rung. The match began.

Hollywood was dazzling the crowd with his lightning-fast strategies, summoning multiple Dinowrestlers in no time at all. He then Link Summoned Dinowrestler King T Wrexle (**ATK/3000 LINK -3**), a humanoid dinosaur clad in wrestling attire with dinosaur bone ornamentation. The giant creature flexed his muscles and roared. Hollywood wasn't done. Using the effect of the Link Monster he used to Link Summon T Wrexle, he brought back a Dinwrestler Tuner monster and used it and another Dinowrestler on his field to Synchro Summon another Dinowrestler, Giga Spinosavate (**ATK/3000 DEF/0**), a creature that resemble a spinosaurus with a light-blue sail on its back.

Weevils turn. "Oh dear, oh dear," he said, feigning fear. "What will I ever do against those giant, bulked-up, dinos of yours?" He let out his obnoxious 'hee, hee, hee,' laugh and summoned Petit Moth, a practically useless insect monster that was a giant green caterpillar with a mere 300 attack points. "Next, I activate the spell, Worm Bait! This card lets me add two worm tokens to my field!"

He summoned grubs with skull-looking markings on their heads, then used them to Link Summon Inzektor Picofalena, which was a female hero dressed as a pink-winged moth or butterfly, equipped with a glowing pink whip. Using her effect, Weevil discarded a card from his hand and equipped Petit Moth with Parasite Paranoid.

The match was getting more and more barbaric with each passing second. During the fifteenth turn, Rex and Weevil were on their knees. Hollywood was bleeding from when Rex's Megzowler rammed him with full force, sending him flying towards the cage busting him open. NEU got their revenge by performing a tag-team attack on Weevi's Insect Queen. Gouki the Master Ogre and Dinowrestler Chimera T Wrexle clotheslined her together, sending her smashing against the cage. Then they tore her legs off one by one before Chimera T Wrexle suplexed her to the ground, destroying her.

"Oh, this is getting good," Nixie said. She looked at Cora, who was still searching around for Krissa. "Look, Cora, can you just focus on the match? Give her some time, you only did throw her out on her ass. I doubt she even wants to see you right now."

"I can't let it end this way."

"Well, it's too late for regrets. She asked to remain friends and you spat it back in her face. Just leave the poor thing alone, will you?"

The matches came and went as the night went on. Then, before anyone knew it, the time for the main events had begun.

"That's you!" said Nixie. "Give 'em hell, Cora!"

The music Cora picked started to play as she walked down the entrance ramp onto the arena. She waved to the crowd while scanning around for Krissa. Hopefully, she would show up to watch the Duel. But there was no sign of her. Cora did her best to keep the smile on her face. Deep down, she was hurting. The realization of how wrong she was in treating Krissa the way she did, overpowered her joy of playing in the main event of this invitational event. Once she stood on her end of the pool, Alexis's music thundered from the speakers. Cerulean and sapphire-colored lasers crisscrossed over the pool and then a cloud of smoke filled the entrance at the other side of the pool. Alexis walked out holding some kind of championship belt over her shoulder. It was a symbol of her dominance in a nearby all-female Dueling League in Eredas called Radiance. Alexis held her arm up in the air and then blue and white fireworks lit up the sky. Along with her music, there were some Aquarian patriots singing the national anthem. She skipped to the ring, Duel Disk already activated and glowing on her right arm. The blue holographic blade radiating from the device on her arm looked like a sword.

The girl on the screen spun the wheel. It felt like an eternity before it stopped and revealed the stipulation of their match. However, since this was the main event, they were going to get two stipulations.

**Ante Up!**

**Loser Surrenders their Rarest Card**

"So this means I get a Blue-Eyes at the end of this match," Alexis said, communicating with Cora via a mouthpiece. "I've been looking forward to this Cora,"

"You and me both, Princess," Cora replied. "Wow. Can't believe I'm going up against royalty tonight. Color me impressed."

"You're too kind. Shall we toss a coin to see who starts first?"

"No need, you go first. I insist."

Alexis smirked. "Wow, girl, you're simping more than any guy I've ever met. Ease up, sailor. It's time to Duel."

"Sure, but don't get any delusions of getting my Blue-Eyes. If anything, you should start thinking about what Cyber Angel you're going to give me."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. I gotta admit, stories about you are legendary. Oof! I can't wait to see your Cyber Angels, Alexis. I heard you use them well."

Alexis smiled. "Is that all they told you I'm packing? Prepare to be disappointed. I heard all about those Blue-Eyes White Dragons you use. They're pretty strong. Let's see how they fare against my new ritual monsters."

"New ritual monsters?"

The girl on the screen spun the wheel again.

**½ Life Points**

"So we only play with four thousand Life Points," Alexis said, communicating with Cora via a mouthpiece. "Pity. Looks like I'm kicking your butt quick in this match. "

**LP 4000**

**T1**

"I draw, Cora. Time to find out if you're worthy of being called Kaiba. For my first move, I play the spell card, Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards."

"If I had a gold coin for every time someone explained that to me," Cora chuckled. "I'd be richer than my dad."

"Har, har," Alexis mocked. "Next, I activate Preparation of Rites, which lets me add a ritual monster to my hand. Now I activate another spell, Cyber Emergency. Thanks, Zane!" She winked at him. Zane was watching the Duel from a balcony over the arena. "This card lets me add a light-attribute machine monster to my hand. And for my next move, I activate Draitron Nova. This card allows me to special summon a Draitron monster from my deck, however, it's destroyed at the end of the turn. Ha, but I don't have to worry about that. Come on out, Draitron AL-Zeta!"

A star sparkled in the night sky and then soared toward the pool. It was a mechanical dragon colored purple and blue with shield-like arms that served as wings.

**ATK/2000 DEF/0**

"Draitrons, huh?" said Cora. "I've heard about those. They compliment ritual decks very nicely. No surprise you started packing them to back up your Cyber Angels."

"You know your stuff," complimented Alexis. "I continue by sacrificing Draitron AL-Zeta to special summon Draitron El-Gamma." Another mechanical dragon flew down from the deep reaches of space. It flew around the ship twice before landing in front of Alexis. It had large engines for wings that were bigger than its body. The metal plating it was made with was colored dark teal. "El-Gamma's effect activates. I can bring back AL-Zeta from the graveyard. And now, I'll activate the field spell, Draitron Fafnir!"

A giant spaceship that resembled a dragon suddenly hovered over the ship. It launched something from one of its cannons. The projectile flew towards Alexis. She caught it with her fingers. It was a spell card. "My field spell allows me to add this card from my deck to my hand," Alexis declared. "Metornis Draitron! I know sacrifice Draitron AL-Zeta and Draitron El-Gamma to ritual summon Draitron Meteornis QUA!"

The dragon-shaped spaceship lifted its head and opened its mouth, releasing a laser that shot into heaven's field. Suddenly a giant dragon-shaped mech flew down from the stars and hovered over the ship. It was massive in size, so large that it had to hover a mile over the ship just to be seen.

**Draitron Meteornis=QUA**

**ATK/4000 DEF/4000**

**LV12**

"Wow!" shouted Cora. "Whoa, amazing! But did I miss something here? Your last two Draitrons were only Level 1's. How were you able to ritual summon that thing with monsters who's level only equaled two?"

"Draitrons come with lots of surprises," said Alexis. "Such as this. My Draitron ritual monster isn't summoned by the level of my monsters. It's summoned equal to or more than their combined attack, well, so long as they're machine monsters anyway. The two machines I had were both 2000 strong, which was more than enough to summon Draitron Meteornis."

"Wow! That's messed up!" Cora yelled. "Ritual summoning based on attack points? What in the world will they come up with next in this game? Are you done?"

"Yeah, that ends my turn. Okay, Cora. Show me what you've got."

**T2**

"I will draw," Cora said nervously. Only the first turn and already Alexis had a 4000 attack point beast on the field. Again, she felt her clothes shriveling up on her body as she got warm and sweaty from the nervousness. That thing Alexis summoned was the size of a giant space station and it was terribly ominous just hovering up there against the stars. "Okay, here goes nothing. First, I summon White Stone of Ancients in attack mode. Next, I activate the spell card, Successor Soul! When you and I both have an effect monster, I can tribute them both to special summon a high-level normal monster from my hand or deck."

Alexis crossed her arms and flashed a confident smirk. "If you're thinking about sacrificing my Draitron, you're out of luck. You can't target him with spells, traps, or effects."

"Well, that's unfortunate," Cora groaned with a sigh. "Well, there's still our other Draitron monster. Now I can summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my deck!"

Draitron AL-Zeta and White Stone of Ancients vanished and then Blue-Eyes White Dragon was birthed from a bright light that flashed behind Cora. The creature flew towards the pool and held its wings up to show it was in defense mode.

"I end my turn but don't think that's it for me, Alexis. When White Stone of Ancients is sent to the graveyard, at the end of my turn, I can special summon a Blue-Eyes monster from my deck. I call on the one and only Deep of Blue-Eyes in defense mode!"

The angelic blue dragon burst from Cora's deck from a trail of light. It was also haunched down in defensive position.

"When Deep of Blue-Eyes is Special Summoned, I can add a ritual or Polymerization card to my hand. I choose a ritual card. Also, since it's my end phase, I can add a high-level dragon to my hand. Next, I set a card face-down. Go."

**T3**

"So that's the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon," said Alexis. She drew her card. "Beautiful. Such a shame I'll be taking them both down. I use Merciful Machine Angel to tribute Cyber Angel Idaten to draw two cards from my deck. Then I send one card from my hand back to the deck. Next, I tribute Cyber Angel Dakini from my hand to special summon, Draitron EL-Gamma from the Graveyard, which also lets me summon Draitron AL-Zeta. Now, I use the ritual card, Meteoris Draitron, sacrificing them both to ritual summon Cyber Angel Dakini from the graveyard."

"You can do that!?"

"Hell yeah! I came prepared for my Duel against you, Cora. And there's something else. When Cyber Angel Idaten is used as tribute, all ritual monsters I control gain 1000 attack points."

"What the! Hold on!"

"I've only just begun, Cora. When Dakini is ritual summoned, you must choose a monster to send to your Graveyard."

"Fine, sorry Deep, but you've got to go." Cora sent her dragon away and it evaporated into blue orbs of light.

**Cyber Angel Idaten**

**ATK/2700 (→3700) DEF/2400**

**Draitron Meteornis=QUA**

**ATK/4000 (→5000)**

Alexis held out her gloved hand and shouted: "Now Cyber Angel Dakini, attack and destroy Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" The six-armed Cyber Angel grunted and sprinted across the hundred-yard pool towards Cora's Blue-Eyes. "There's something you should know, Cora. When Dakini attacks a defense position monster, she can inflict piercing damage to your Life Points."

"Shit!"

Cyber Angel Dakini slashed her Blue-Eyes White Dragon's head off with her long golden spear. Cora could only stand there and watch as Alexis's Draitron aimed at her with its powerful laser canons and fired. The lasers struck a square-shaped monolith made of steel that deflected the blast.

"What the hell is this?" Alexis asked.

Cora wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. For a moment there, she thought the Draitron had some kind of effect that would negate it. "I activate my trap card, Counter Gate!" The audience cheered and clapped their hands or whistled. "When you attack me directly, my card stops your attack. And if it's a monster card, I can summon it." She drew the card and smiled. "It's a monster! I summon Protector with Eyes of Blue in defense mode."

Alexis's fans chanted her name and pointed victoriously at her Draitron monster.

**Alexis - 4000 LP**

**Cora - 2800 LP**

**T4**

"Can you turn things around, Cora?" Alexis asked confidently. "I've heard a lot of good things about you, don't let me down."

"Don't get cocky, Alexis! I've only just begun and me and my Blue-Eyes are going to take you down together! Draw! I banish White Stone of Ancients from my Graveyard and add a Blue-Eyes to my hand. Next, I activate the ritual spell, Chaos Form! I sacrifice Blue-Eyes White Dragon to ritual summon Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon!"

The crowd cheered when the Gates of Chaos opened, allowing Cora's ritual monster to enter their realm. It was a colossal-sized creature, almost as long as the ship itself. And it lit up the darkness of the night with its glowing cerulean patterns and orbs.

**ATK/3000 DEF/0**

"Next, I summon Sage with Eyes of Blue! Using the Protector's effect, I sacrifice Sage to special summon a Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my hand!"

"Oooooo!" shouted the onlookers. Lasers flashed around and the music got louder as if proudly announcing the arrival of Cora's other Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The fans again cheered Seto's name in honor of him, hoping he would get better soon. Cora waved her arms up and down, trying to get them to cheer louder so that their energy and support could help summon the Blue-Eyes.

"KAIBA! KAIBA! KAIBA! KAIBA!"

The Protector with Eyes of Blue held up his wide sword and pointed it at the sky. A beam of light surged out of the pool and then the second of Cora's Blue-Eyes soared out of the water, splashing everyone on the deck. Fireworks were launched and colored the sky in all shades of blue as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon spun higher and higher. It stopped and spread its wings, then gave a mighty roar, challenging the Draitron monster above. The sight of the Blue-Eyes doing this made the crowd even more energetic.

"You guys want more!" Cora shouted, pumping her fist in the air. The fans replied with a loud cheer. "I can't hear you! You guys want to see more Blue-Eyes!" They cheered even louder. "Woo! Watch out Alexis! From my hand, I discard Sage with Eyes of Blue and tribute Protector with Eyes of Blue to summon my last Blue-Eyes from my deck!"

YAAAAAAY!

The last Blue-Eyes was on its way. Sage with Eyes of Blue appeared and spun his staff, creating a sapphire-colored glyph, which acted as a portal to let the Blue-Eyes onto the field. It soared over the ship and roared, energizing the crowd with its appearance.

"Have you heard of the phrase: two heads are better than one, Alexis? I could just kiss that person right now. I use Polymerization, fusing together my two Blue-Eyes White Dragons to become Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon!"

Her two Blue-Eye merged together and formed into their two-headed form. The two dragon heads roared and snarled. Their body was colored white, brighter than even snow and decorated with glowing blue markings.

**ATK/3000 DEF/2500**

M, Candy, and Madeline were bathing in the pool right underneath the monsters, getting a very close-up view of the battle.

"Damn! Look at that!" M shouted.

"Zey are an impressive pair," said Madeline. "But how iz Cora going to battle zat Draitron with her weaker monsters? Zat zing still 'as five thousand attack points."

M held up his drink and laughed. "Don't worry, baby girl, Cora knows what to do! I bet she's got a plan cooked up right now."

"I attack your Draitron with Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon!" Cora shouted.

"Or not," said Candy. "She's lost it."

Suddenly, the Draitron and Cyber Angel Vrash switched to defense mode. Alexis gasped. "Hey, what's this? What did you do?"

Cora placed her hand on her hip and cocked it to the side. "When Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon attacks, you monsters switch to defense mode and their attack and defense points get reduced to zero. Oh, and Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon has piercing damage, so expect this next move to hurt."

Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon soared toward Draitron Meteoris. It opened its mouth and unleashed a white lightning attack that had the force of ten-thousand Blue-Eyes White Dragons behind it. The beam shot through Draitron Meteoris's chest and shot out its back. The dragon mech started sparking and flames formed all over its body. Finally, it exploded.

"No way!" Alexis croaked. Her Life Points fell to 1000.

"Now, Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon, attack Cyber Angel Vrash!"

Twin Burst Dragon arched both its necks and released a stream of blue fire enveloped by electricity and destroyed the Cyber Angel. Alexis crossed both her arms over her face to shield herself from the blast, her skirt, shirt, and hair flapped violently from the fierce gale. She clenched her teeth together and tightened her muscles, putting all her weight on her feet to keep from being knocked on her back.

When the blast subsided, Alexis lowered her arms and said: "When Draitron Meteoris is destroyed, I can special summon Draitron AL-Zera and EL-Gamma from my graveyard."

"Oh yeah? What can those two hunks of junk do for you, Alexis? I end my turn. Your move."

**Cora 2800 LP**

**Alexis 1000 LP**

**T5**

"Hunks of junk, huh? I'll make you eat your words, Cora. I draw!" She placed her fingers on the top card of her deck and closed her eyes. "Come on, baby, give me something good." She drew. "Looks like the tide is turning, Cora. I activate Pot of Desires. I banish the top ten cards of my deck and draw two cards."

"Risky move, Alexis. You could have banished something you needed."

"If you build your deck right, then it's a small price to pay trust me. I have just the cards I need for this next move. First, I tribute Draitron AL-ZETA to special summon Draitron BAN-ALPHA from my hand. Then I can add a ritual monster from my deck to my hand. And now, I activate the ritual spell, Meteornis Draitron and then ritual summon Draitron Meteornis DRA."

The Draitron Fafnir in the sky shot out another beacon from its mouth to call on another dragonic mech that soared in the deep reaches of space. A star twinkled, and seconds later the heavenly mechanical dragon flew down from the night sky and hovered over the ship. It swung its bladed arms through the air then roared, spreading its oddly-shaped wings.

**ATK/4000 DEF/4000**

"Yeowch," Cora said, backing away from the sight of the terribly large dragon mech floating above her. The creature growled and every time it flapped its wings, it made orbs of light rain down over the ocean.

"I'd attack your Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon, Cora, but that would be a mistake. Monsters that do battle with it and don't get destroyed are banished."

"Well, you've really done your homework, have you?"

"Yeah, so your Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon is the one I'll be attacking. But just in case you think of using that Twin Burst Dragon to attack my Draitron next turn, I'll activate the spell, Raigeki! You know what this spell does, correct?"

"Yeah," Cora said with a heavy sigh. "Sorry, Twin Burst."

Lighting fell from the sky. Due to his effect, Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon was not destroyed by the card. However, Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon was zapped over and over again, frying it until it burst. Cora grunted, holding up her arm to shield her face from the blast created by the explosion. "Oh no, I'm done for! Sorry Chaos. I can't help you, pal."

The mech heeded Alexis's command and swooped close enough to the ship to slice Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon in half. The dragon screamed and then shattered into a thousand pieces.

**Cora 1800 LP**

**Alexis 1000 LP**

"That's enough for now. I set a card face-down and end my turn."

_What am I going to do now?_ Cora wondered_. She's got another supped-up Draitron monster on the field and I have no cards in my hand. If there is a heart of the cards out there, can you help me?_

She drew. "All right, Alexis, I use Pot of Extravagance. I banish six cards from my Extra Deck and draw two cards. She drew one card. "Chaos Form! Come on, Deck! You can do better than this. Oh man, this is is it. Make it or break it time." She exhaled through her lips and placed her fingers on the next card. "Woo! Check it out! Card of Sanctity, Alexis! Now we draw until we have six cards in our hands."

"Hmm," Zane said, tapping his finger on the railing of the balcony. "Was that a lucky draw or what?"

Michael chuckled and stirred his drink around. "I've been trained by Master Yugi, Zane. I don't believe in luck. Cora put her faith in her deck. Do that and the Heart of the Cards will never steer you wrong."

"Still, Card of Sanctity allows both Cora and Alexis to draw until they have six cards. If you ask me, that gives Alexis an advantage as well."

"We'll just have to see which one of them plays their cards better."

Down below, Cora held up a spell she was sure would help her change the tide of the Duel. "I activate Monster Reborn! Come on out, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" A pillar of light surrounded by water shot out of the pool. Blue-Eyes White Dragon spread its wings and shouted into the sky, causing everyone to cheer. "Now, I activate my second Chaos Form card. I sacrifice Blue-Eyes White Dragon to ritual summon, Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon!"

Blue-Eyes White Dragon was overtaken by a blue beam of light. Then lightning sprang out of the water of the pool, followed by a loud noise that sounded like an ear-piercing, bone-shattering electrical bass drop. Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon spread his massive, orbed wings and held out his arms while releasing a thunderous battle roar that shook the ship and caused tidal waves to rise in the ocean. The clouds above him parted, revealing the stars and the three moons.

**Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon**

**ATK/4000 DEF/0**

"Both their dragons are evenly matched," said M. "Time to find out which one of these two titans is the one that gets to stay here and dance."

"A new hand, a new game, that's what Cora always says," said Nixie.

"Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, attack!" Cora shouted.

"They're going to destroy each other!" yelled Alexis.

"Oh, I don't think so!" Cora said looking up at the sky. The crowd cried out in shock when another mechanical beast flew out of the darkness and held its arms up with its talons. A Blue-Eyes White Dragon soared in circles around that beast as well as if taunting it.

"What is that!" shouted Alexis. "And where did that Blue-Eyes come from?"

"That monster is Neo Kaiser Glider!" Cora answered. "Before I attacked with MAX, I discarded him so that I could Special Summon my Blue-Eyes back from the Graveyard. And if he's sent there, all your monsters lose five hundred points."

"Oh no!" Alexis cried.

Draitron Metornis roared, feeling his power draining and draining until he was at 3500. Every orb on Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon's body started glowing brightly. It opened its mouth and gave a powerful metallic shriek before lasers shot out of the orbs, creating a multi-directional assault that the Draitron monster could not escape. The lasers shredded Draitron Meteornis=DRA. Alexis shouted as the blast smacked her with fierce winds and debris rained down all around her.

"Now, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack Alexis and finish her off. Burst Stream of Destruction!"

Blue-Eyes White Dragon's body went rigid and its wings spread as it charged up its attack. Electricity sparked in its mouth and its facial muscles twitched. The beast opened its mouth and launched its attack at Alexis, who was quick to counter.

"I activate the trap card, Card Defense!" A swarm of Duel Monster cards flew all around Alexis, shielding her from the dragon's attack. "When your monster launches a direct attack on me, I can discard a card and negate that monster's attack. And then I can draw a card."

"Well, there's no easy way of winning this game, huh?" said Cora. "All right. I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

**Alexis-500 LP**

**Cora-1800 LP**

"Uh, if the water gets warm, my bad," M said.

"M'Bakuuan! That's gross!" Nixie shouted, scooting away from him.

"Sorry, but I can't help it. These girls, man. They're beating each other senseless in this Duel. I love it! And thanks to Cora's Card of Sanctity they got a fresh hand to make things even more exciting."

"Yeah, but Cora couldn't finish Alexis off this turn. With a new hand at her disposal, who knows what she has in store for Cora."

**T6**

"You're an okay Duelist, Cora," Alexis said.

"Okay?"

"Yeah, just okay. But you'll get better. You should know better than to give your opponent more cards. If anything, you've just handed this game to me."

"How do you figure that?"

"Watch. I activate the spell, Machine Angel Ritual!"

"Oh, crap!"

"That's right, Cora! I tribute two Cyber Angel Idatens from my hand to ritual summon, Cyber Angel Izana!"

Cora ground her teeth in frustration and backed away slowly as a four-armed Cyber Angel slowly rose out of a white arcane circle. Her skin was grayish-blue and she wore revealing oriental clothing. Her lower arms both held onto a heavy battle-ax. The left upper arm gripped a golden ax and the right one relied on blasting enemies with powerful magic.

"Do you remember what Cyber Angel Idaten does when she's tributed, Cora?"

"Yeah, your ritual monster gains 1000 attack points. And since you used two Idatens, your Cyber Angel Izana's attack increases by 2000."

**ATK/2500 (→2000) 4500 DEF/2600**

"Now her effect activates," said Alexis. "When she's Ritual Summoned, you have to choose a Spell or Trap Card on the field and send it to the Graveyard."

Cora sighed and sent her Spell Card, Strength in Unity to the Graveyard. "All right. Come on and finish me off, Alexis."

"Will do, Cora. First, I will attack your Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon with Izana."

"What do you mean first?"

Alexis waited for Izana to finish her attack to answer. Izana sliced MAX down the middle of his belly. The dragon grunted and gave roared in agony before it exploded, dealing 500 points of damage to Cora's Life Points. She was down to 1300 now. "When Izana successfully destroys a monster and sends it to the graveyard, I can have attack you a second time. Your Blue-Eyes White Dragon remains and this attack will end the game."

"You mean..."

"It's over, Cora. Cyber Angel Izana, attack and destroy Cora's Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Izana opened the palm of her upper right hand then shot a beam of whitish-blue fire at the Blue-Eyes. The beam streaked over the pool creating fierce waves and spraying water in its wake.

Cora opened her palm and shouted: "I activate my trap! Cross Damage! When you declare an attack, Alexis, any damage you deal at me will also be inflicted on you."

Alexis froze. She stared at the card. "What!" was all she could muster to say. She watched Cora's Blue-Eyes White Dragon shot a beam of white lighting back at Izana before it was struck on the chest and exploded, knocking Cora backward. Her Life Points went down to 0. But the white lightning attack continued to zoom across the field and struck Izana, evaporating her in seconds. The blast that followed knocked Alexis flat on her back as well. Her Life Points also went down to 0. The monsters were gone. The field was empty. Even as the dust settled, no one on board said a word. The music was dead. Everyone was silent and still. All that could be heard was the rocking of the ship and the splash of the ocean waves against the hull of the superyacht.

"It...it's a draw!" whispered M.

"Phew," Alexis finally said. "For a second there, I thought we were going to go at it for a few more turns."

"Hey, I would have been down with that," Cora chuckled, eyes up at the stars. "I'm always up for Dueling someone pretty for a lot longer."

Alexis burst out laughing, slowly, the audience began to cheer and applaud them. "You flatterer."

"Come on, best two out of three."

"I don't think so," Alexis said. "Zane still has to Duel that loser Clovis for the championship."

"Oh, ho, ho, that won't be necessary!"

All of a sudden, the Banner of Yeyu activated. The golden arcane circle formed beneath their feet and then slowly flew out of the suite and over the ocean. "What the hell is this?" Alexis shouted. She felt a powerful force push her off the arena. She landed in the water with a splash.

"What's going on!?" Cora shouted. "What is this?"

Clovis walked through the Banner's barrier wearing a white trench coat and black gloves. "So that's the power of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. At last, Cora, I will teach you a lesson you will never forget. You will remember this forever as you suffer in the Belly of Yeyu for all eternity. But there is one problem, though. I only want to Duel you."

"Cora!" shouted Candy. She was in the front row with the others.

"What's going on?" cried M. "Clovis what have you done!"

Clovis took a microphone from out of his pocket. "Ladies and Gentlemen. Don't worry, I will keep this short and sweet. I bring you the show to end all shows. I present, the end of Cora Kaiba."

The crowd gasped. Zane ran up to the arena. "Clovis! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" He ran to get Cora out, but the Banner of Yeyu's barrier prevented him from getting in.

"No, no, no," Clovis said with a wag of his finger. "There's no getting inside until the Duel is over, Zane."

"We'll just see about that!" Zane pulled the sleeve of his jacket down and dialed something on a wristpad. A loud roar shook the ship then a portal opened. All three of Zane's Cyber Dragons appeared. They circled around the Banner of Yeyu, snarling angrily.

"Cyber Dragons! Destroy the barrier! Strident Blast!"

The Cyber Dragons fired at the Banner at once. Nothing. They didn't even crack the barrier. They attacked again and again. Nothing. Clovis went mad with confidence and started laughing like a maniac.

"You see? Nothing can stand against the almighty power of Yeyu."

"Yeyu?" Prince Michael said quietly. "So this is the Banner of Yeyu I've heard so much about. Zane! Call off your dragons before someone gets hurt. This is a power beyond any of us."

"That's a good boy," Clovis sneered. "Now, to begin the Duel. Cora, I trust you know how a Banner Duel works, no? Of course, you do. You've dealt with many of our Banner Duelists, but none of them are like me, I can promise you that. Now, ladies and gentlemen, those of you with weak constitutions, leave the arena. This is going to get ugly. You start first, Cora."

Cora stood up. "You're going to regret this!" she said, standing up.

"Clovis! Stop this now!" shouted Zane, pounding on the invisible barrier. "You're under arrest. Stop this now, or you will face even stricter punishment."

"Don't be such a fool, Zane," Clovis sneered. "Ha. After what I do to Cora, you're going to think twice before messing with me. Go on, Cora. Teach me a lesson. I dare you!"

"Then you'll get what you want. I summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" She screamed, using every ounce of energy she had to bring out the beast so that its attack came out at the max. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon flew out of a gate opened by the Banner and circled over Cora, seething with absolute hatred towards Clovis.

"There's nothing you have that can stand up to my Blue-Eyes, Clovis. I know what happens to you losers when you activate this stupid field spell card! You die tonight, I promise you that."

"Oh, is that what you think, eh? Allow me to disagree. But first, I think I'll use a little spell. Obligatory Summon. Now, you must summon monsters with the same type as the monster you have on the field."

"Fine, I will. I summon two more Blue-Eyes White Dragons and my dear friend, Chaos Emperor Dragon Envoy of the End!"

That was all she could muster. If she summoned any more beasts, she would tire herself out. And if that happened, she wouldn't be able to summon anything anymore and lose the Banner Duel. She hated these rules, but it came to no surprise that the Covenant would enforce such a thing to keep REAL Duelists at such a terrible disadvantage. One who was weak-willed or low on Ener-D as it was called, would never survive such a game. And that was the purpose. The Covenant of Yeyu was going to anything it could to destroy Duelists everywhere with this terrible spell. Cora felt as if it was up to her to stop it.

"Do you have a death wish, Clovis? You forced me to summon all three of my Blue-Eyes White Dragons and my Chaos Emperor Dragon. You remember him, right? He's the monster who kicked your ass and gave me my first victory at the academy."

"How can I forget. Sadly for you, my dear, that Clovis is gone. I am the new and improved Clovis. And I shall take what is rightfully mine with this card. Holy Manipulation!"

"What the hell is that?"

"This is a special card that can only be used when the Banner of Yeyu is in play, Cora. When you have monsters out with the same name, I can take control of them."

"No!"

The Banner of Yeyu started to glow and spun violently, creating a fierce wind. It then appeared on the top of the dragon's heads, causing their eyes to turn gold. They slowly hovered towards Clovis's side of the field.

"No! Wait! Don't leave me!" Cora begged her dragons. "Wait. Come back! Fight it, you guys! Please!"

"It will do you no good, Cora. Now, the Blue-Eyes White Dragons are mine. And I will bind them together with this spell. Divine Chain!"

A golden shield with a face covered in scrollwork rising out of the center slowly rose up from behind Clovis. Golden chains and shackles slowly slithered from it. The shackles clamped around the necks of the three dragons and brought them together. The dragons hissed and writhed around like dogs chained to the wall.

"Stop your writhing! You will obey!" shouted Clovis.

The Divine Chain zapped the dragons into submission. They roared and continued to fight against their bindings. But the pain inflicted on them was horrible. They hissed in despair and stopped struggling at once. Clovis had broken them.

"Let them go!" Cora begged. "Don't do this to my dragons! It's me you want! Not them!"

"It's your death that I want, Cora. Oh, and your dragons. They're feisty now, but they will get used to me in time. If not, I will force them to with the Banner of Yeyu. Oh, stop looking at me like that. This is the way it's supposed to be. Monsters are our slaves. Put in this world to serve us. They don't have any say in who they serve. These dragons are fools to think they can deem who is worthy and who is not. All you need is the right tools and my incredible charisma, and monsters like these dragons will obey you like common dogs. Now, my Divine Chain can do more than put my three Blue-Eyes in place. It combines them into an all-powerful monster. Three dragons for three times the power. Your Chaos Emperor Dragon stands no chance. Consider this payback for our first match. Blue-Eyes White Dragons! Attack now! Triple White Lightning!"

The dragons seemed to refuse to move. But the bonds from the Banner of Yeyu was too strong. The three dragons were zapped relentlessly until they could bear the pain no more. They would rather assault their master than suffer through such torment.

"It's okay!" Cora said, holding out her arms. "Just do it. I can take it. I will get you back, I promise! Just do it! I don't want to see you suffer anymore."

One of the dragons shook its head.

"Stop! Just attack me! Attack me now! Attack me! ATTACK ME! ATTACK ME DAMN YOU!"

The dragons fired their streams of white lightning at Cora. She felt her body burning as if she was struck by the force of a supernova. She felt herself flying across the field and slamming against the barrier with a loud smack. The crowd cringed and ooohed seeing the sickening impact. When the dust cleared, Cora got back up on her feet. She realized there was nothing Holy about this Duel. This was Shadow Magic. Pure and simple. And the Covenant of Yeyu was brainwashing people into thinking it was a benevolent thing to use. If that was the case, Duelists all over Termnnia were in grave danger. At least Clovis was dumb enough to cause such a spectacle in front of all these people. Even if something were to happen to her, the truth about these Banner Duels would be recognized. But she was determined to win this strange battle.

As she got up to draw her card portals opened behind her. Clovis's friends jumped out and tackled her from behind, slamming her to the ground. The crowd was angered by this. They started throwing chairs, tables, anything they could to break the barrier keeping Cora stuck inside the Banner.

Clovis's friends stomped and punched Cora. One of Clovis's goons held her hands behind her back, then another reached for something in his pocket. Something silver and shiny.

"Those are handcuffs!" shouted Candy.

"CORA!" M shouted. He pulled an iron guard rail off its hinges with his incredible strength and ran for the barrier. He smashed it with all his might, but he was bending the bar until it curved like a cane and his hands bled. Clovis's friends mocked him right in his face, safe behind the barrier. M smashed his fist against it, demanding they fight like men and leave Cora alone.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragons were going to blast the boys, but the Divine Chain formed golden muzzles, keeping their snouts shut until it was time to attack. Alexis conjured her divine sword made of lightforged steel and started smashing it against the barrier over and over and over again. Nothing happened. Prince Michael jumped from the second floor and used his ring to summon an Archfiend Giant, which hovered over the ship. The colossal monster smashed his fist against the barrier but to no avail. Not even he could break it.

"My adoring fans," said Clovis. "Cora, what's going on over there? Draw and summon your next monster."

Cora couldn't. She was on the ground writhing like a worm on a hook. Blood oozed down her face, masking her in red. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't hear anything. Just a loud ringing. It felt like the world was stuck in slow motion. She felt a sharp pain in her gut. One of Clovis's friends kicked her hard, cracking one of her ribs, and knocking the wind out of her.

"You've got ten seconds to make a move, Cora. Otherwise, my dragons are going to blast you." Cora couldn't do it. "WHITE LIGHTNING!" Clovis commanded.

The muzzles were removed. The dragons fired at Cora. There was a massive explosion causing Jack and the others to cheer.

"CORA!" Nixie shouted. "Somebody has to stop this!"

The Cyber Dragons still fired at the barrier and the Archfiend Giant continued to smash it. Not even a crack. There was no helping Cora escape. The dust cleared. Cora was lying still on the ground. Just as Clovis was about to celebrate the crowd started to cheer as Cora moved her legs. To his shock, she stood back up on her feet.

"AGAIN!" shouted Clovis.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragons shrieked in sorrow and did as they were told, blasting Cora with another shot of their Burst Stream of Destruction, a much more powerful attack than White Lightning. They hoped this would kill her. They saw her being tossed around like a ragdoll and smashing against the barrier. The dust cleared. Again she lay still. Then she coughed up fumes from her lungs and sprayed the ground with blood. She gasped for air. The wheezing sounds she made were horrifying.

And, to Clovis's shock, she was still managing to find a way to get back on her feet. The crowd clapped and cheered. They knew it was hopeless, but Cora was just showing an amazing feat of strength. Even now, as she was getting beaten to death, she was proving that she was a better and stronger person than Clovis could ever hope to be. Even with powerful spells and shadow magic, he was nothing compared to Cora. He would NEVER be in the same league as Cora.

The crowd's support for Cora helped him realize this and made him angry.

"AGAIN!" Clovis shouted, spraying the air with spit.

Before the dragons could attack, a bright light filled the sky. A Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon soared down from the clouds. It turned red, unleashing the rage of a thousand Blue-Eyes White Dragons. This attack would end the dragon, but it knew it was going to go down for a worthy cause. The dragon suicide dived into the barrier, causing a massive explosion that sent the guests flying in all directions. When the red-colored smoke cleared the barrier was still standing.

"Ha," laughed Clovis. But his smile faded when he heard a crinkling, crackling noise from above. The barrier shattered and rained down on the field. Uh oh.

Then another dragon flew down from the sky, circling the ship. It was Túltóron the Legendary Dragon of White. The hooded girl with the double-bladed katana was riding on top of him. She jumped off and landed on the field. Wasting no time she started hacking down Clovis's friends.

One of them tried to run away, but the girl sliced him in half with ease. She looked at Clovis and split her katana in two. He attempted to flee but it was no use. She was much too fast. It was like trying to run away from sound. The girl threw her second katana at Clovis. The blade went right through his back, sticking out of his chest. He stopped and fell to his knees. The girl ran for him and placed her boot against his back, sliding her blade free from him as though with disgust as if she were freeing her sword from a heap of smelly garbage. She smashed the blade against his head over and over and over again until it was unrecognizable.

The crowd watched her with horror. Who was she? She walked to Cora and knelt down beside her. M and the others climbed into the arena and ran to help their friend. But the hooded girl held out her hand, telling them to stay back.

"Cora!" Kasumi shouted, running across the deck. "Cora, I'm coming!" She jumped up into the arena and sped towards her friend. The girl held up her arm, smacking it hard against Kasumi's chest. "Let me through! She needs me!"

"Calm down!" said the girl. "Give her some air, you guys. Let me handle this." She walked to Cora and knelt beside her. "Cora. Cora, can you hear me?"

"She's hurt pretty badly," said M.

"No shit, Captain Obvious!" shouted Nixie. "She's got burns all over her body!"

"Can you help her?" Kasumi asked.

"I shall not fail," said the girl. She held her hand over Cora's head and muttered a white magic spell in an ancient and forgotten tongue. Slowly, Cora's wounds began to heal.

"Wow!" Nixie whispered. "Where did you learn magic like that?"

"I cannot say," said the girl.

Cora stirred around and sniffed. She smelled the scent of burnt flesh in the air. "Wow, that wasn't me was it?"

"CORA!" her friends shouted.

"You're all right!" Kasumi cried out, wrapping her arms around her neck. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Wait! What are you guys doing here?" Cora yelled. "You have to get out of here or else Clovis..." Candy pointed at his corpse. "DAMN! What happened to Clovis. And his boys? Gross, they look like they've been shishkabobed."

"You're not going to believe this, Cora!" M cried. "This shining dragon thing flew down from the sky and broke the barrier! And then this girl here jumps in and slaughters Clovis and his goons. She saved you, Cora."

Cora looked at the girl and nodded her head. "Uh...thanks. Who...who are you?"

"I am Korinthia. I serve Lady Arasik, daughter of Safaani and creator of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. I have been sent to this world to protect you, Cora, since my companion, Krissa failed at that task."

"Krissa!" Cora shrieked. "Oh, where is she? I have to apologize to her!"

"You needn't worry about her anymore," said Korinthia. "That dragon that you saw destroy the barrier was a beast called Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon. That was Krissa's true form."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jericho said waving her hands around. "Hold on a minute! Are you saying that all this time we've been hanging around a dragon!?"

Cora felt as though someone stuck a block of ice in her belly. "That can't be real. Is that true? My ex was a dragon!"

"A dragon who fell in love with the fruits of this world," said Korinthia. "Her task was to gift you with the Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon and the Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon. However, she was a rebellious one. Always had been since she hatched from her egg. Ever since she was taught how to utilize her human form, Krissa began to love this world more than her mission. I never thought she'd be so lost and so far gone that she'd fall in love with a human. She needed to be stopped."

"What do mean stopped?" Kasumi asked. "What did you do to her?"

Korinthia stood up. Meanwhile, Kasumi and Nixie helped Cora up on her two feet. "She had to die tonight as punishment for going rogue against Arasik. I gave her to option to die in shame or to go down atoning for her sins. She used her ultimate attack; Shining Nova. A move that nothing can stop or stand against. It gives her the rage and power of ten-thousand Blue-Eyes White Dragons. However, it's a skill she can use only once; for it kills her afterward."

Cora gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "No! You mean...you mean she's..."

"Dead. Yes. I'm sorry, Cora. Her ability was the only thing that could have saved you tonight. That barrier, I fear, is getting stronger. I am here to help you stop it."

"But...I..." Cora hung her head sadly and sniffed. "I didn't even get the chance to tell her I'm sorry. We had this terrible fight and..."

"What's done is done. Think of her sacrifice as her accepting your apology. There was still some love for you in her heart, Cora. Especially if she was willing to give her life to save you."

"I suppose. I'm gonna miss her."

"So am I," said Kasumi. "May Safaani watch over her soul. Poor thing."

"What are you going to do now?" Cora asked.

"I'm going to watch over you and complete the task Krissa failed to do." She held up her katana and knelt. "Cora, by Lady Arasik's command, I offer you my service. I am your sword and your shield against all the evil in this world. Do you deny my aid?"

"Oooh, my own bodyguard, huh?" Cora said. "And she's hot, too. I could use someone watching my back."

"Hold on!" said Kasumi. "What makes Cora so special the Goddesses themselves would send their agents to help her?"

"That is not for you to know," said Korinthia. "Not yet anyway. For now, I am here to protect Lady Cora from her enemies. And now our biggest threat is the Church of Yeyu and this Banner of theirs."

"What do we do now?" Cora asked.

"First thing's first. Where is Seto Kaiba?"

* * *

**Madame Angelmen**

* * *

"_Ma'am, the new student is here to see you_," the receptionist said through the intercom on her desk.

Madame Angelmen pressed a red button. "Send her in," she said. She sat back on her chair and applied more perfume on her neck. "This better be worth my while. If this student is as rich as she says she is, I could have my stadium up in no time at all. And then money, money, money. Not even Seto Kaiba can stand up to me. Or his worthless daughter for that matter."

There was a knock on the door. "Come in already. I allowed you inside, didn't I?"

The door opened. A girl with long, brown hair walked inside. "Sorry," she said timidly. She wore something akin to a school uniform. It was all black with some white trim here and there. She carried a black briefcase and had a heavy black backpack. There were white bows on each side of her head and her leg-length boots clomped loudly on the dark wooden floor. She had a very strong perfume that dominated the noxious scents Madame Angelmen had poisoned the air with. It smelled radiant and sweet. Something natural like billions of brilliantly colored wildflowers waving in the wind at once.

"Ooooh," Madame Angelmen hooted. She examined the girl from head to toe. "Aren't you a pretty one."

The girl did curtsey. "Thank you, headmistress. I must say I'm looking forward to —"

"— I'm sorry my dear, but I'm afraid I have to decline your acceptance into this school."

The girl chuckled nervously. "I haven't even sat down yet."

"Not just anyone in this city can attend a prep-school as prestigious as this, young lady. Do you know what institute we prepare our students for?"

The girl nodded. "Of course, I do. Duelist Academy. The School of Kings. I've been working hard for years just to get there. My high school teacher said this was the place to go should I have the marks to enter. Well, I was top of my class, captain of the school's official Duel Monsters team, and daughter of a very wealthy entrepreneur. I believe I have what I need to attend Rosenkruz Academy."

"My dear, you could be better at Duel Monsters than Yugi Muto, and it still wouldn't be enough to enter. We require a very steep tuition to keep this place running at maximum efficiency, I do hope you understand, my child."

The girl smiled and set down her briefcase. Then she took off her backpack and took a seat on the green-cushioned chair in front of Madame Angelmen's desk.

"I did not give you permission to sit down, young lady."

"A steep tuition you say," the girl said. "I think I can speak your kind of language." She reached into her blazer and took out a thick wad of fresh Eredian Notes and slapped it on the desk.

"Ah," Madame Angelmen said, picking up the wad. She flipped through each note with her thumb. "It's a lot of money, but I'm afraid this won't..."

The girl picked up her briefcase and set it on the desk. She flicked open the locks, opened it, and turned it around. Madame Angelmen's face lit up. She saw more Emboldorian Notes along with tubes of cold coins and Star Chips. Underneath the stacks of notes were golden cards.

"And this is just my way of saying thank you, headmistress."

The girl opened her backpack and pulled out a bell. She rang it gingerly. A man walked in carrying a cart full of food. He stopped it in front of Madame Angelmen's desk and removed the cover to reveal two handsomely prepared meat pies. All around them were plates of chicken wings, candied meats, finger sandwiches, and other tasty morsels.

The man poured wine into two jeweled cups. He handed one to the girl and the other to Madame Angelmen. He bowed and then left.

"A fine vintage," said Madame Angelmen.

"It tastes even better with the meat pie," said the girl. "Won't you try some?"

"Of course, of course," Madame Angelmen said eagerly.

As she wrapped a napkin around her neck, the girl stood up and handed her the pie, which was resting in a bowl of sterling silver. She placed the cutlery beside the bowl and sat back down to watch Madame Angelmen eat. She bit savagely into a piece and moaned with satisfaction as a very sweet, very peculiar flavor exploded in her mouth.

"Mmm, this is the tastiest meat pie I've ever had. Won't you have some?"

"I start with my dessert first," said the girl, picking up a bowl with three big scoops of ice cream. She picked up a container of chocolate sauce and poured it all over the treat. "This is organic ice cream. I had it imported from the Citrus Islands. I can't have a meal without it."

"How do you stay so lean with such a sweet tooth, my child?" Madame Angelmen said, biting noisily into another cut of pie.

"I have my ways," the girl said with a wink.

"You must share your secret with me."

The girl chuckled. "I believe I've convinced you into accepting me into the school?"

"Of course, you have, my dear. Welcome to Rosenkruz. Uh, but there's one last thing I must ask of you."

"Of course."

"I have a nephew who goes to this school as well. He needs a good woman to set his life straight. Now that's where you come in. You're young, beautiful, and very rich. You're just the kind of girl I've been looking for. Yes, yes, you will do nicely."

"What will you have me do, headmistress?"

"I want you to marry my nephew."

The girl stopped eating. "Oh!"

"Now, now, don't worry. He's a very fine young man. He's from a petty kingdom, but he's royalty nonetheless. He hails from my line. The House De Medici. We could use your family's resources to finally take over this city from the clutches of Seto Kaiba and that spoiled brat-of-a-prince, Michael Dalton."

"You have big plans, it seems," said the girl.

"Very big plans, my dear. And you are just the meal ticket we need to get things going. What do you say?"

The girl blushed. "Well, I've always wanted to marry a handsome prince.

"Wonderful. Wonderful. Oh, where is that boy? There is so much we have to prepare for. The wedding, the invitations."

The bachelorette party."

"Ah," Madame Angelmen said pointing at the girl. They both held up their goblets toasting for all the beautiful men in Domino. "I like you girl. What is your name."

The girl smiled. "Korinthia."

"Ah, what a beautiful name. Excuse me, my dear. Let me call Clovis and tell him about his wonderful new bride. The damn boy hasn't come back from that stupid cruise. He probably got drunk and was left behind on one of the islands. It's happened before." She dialed Clovis's number. Just then, a phone started ringing in the girl's backpack.

The girl giggled. Madame Angelmen paused. "Why do you have my nephew's phone?"

"Because I've already taken the liberty of meeting him, headmistress. He's here in this room as we speak."

"Now I know you're crazy," Madame Angelmen said cutting out another slice of pie. She chewed it noisily and stopped when bit down on something hard. She spat it out at once. It was a ring. The family signet she gave to Clovis. Panic soon washed over her. The girl's words started to haunt her. Here in this room? But how?

She started to peel off the crust and saw something round and peach-colored sticking out of the meaty surface. Madame Angelmen started panting heavily. The girl stood up and picked up the fork and knife. She cut the area where the round object was and pulled it out. It was a finger.

"He was a bitch to carve up, let me tell you. And his friends, too. They were all swine. Just like you."

Madame Angelmen picked up a trash bin and stuck her finger in her mouth to regurgitate the contents of the pie. "You...you killed my nephew!"

The door slowly opened. The room suddenly turned cold and the clouds blotted out the sun. Seto Kaiba walked into the room. Mokuba was by his side and Miss Goldwine as well. Korinthia had rescued her from the realm of fire that the Banner of Yeyu sent her to not that long after she and Cora had met. Speaking of which, Miss Goldwine stepped to the side to let her through. "Payback's a bitch, ain't it, Madame Angelmen?"

"Arrest her!" shouted Madame Angelmen. "She skilled my nephew! Arrest her! Arrest her!"

"She didn't kill him," Seto said. "She executed him. And now we're going to deal with you."

Moments later, two knights in heavy black armor came bursting out the doors of the academy, holding Madame Angelmen by her hands and feet. They threw her in the air and she fell on the stairs, rolling all the way down. News reporters were already on the scene, documenting her humiliation.

"Madame Angelmen," said Seto. "You are guilty for the crimes of racketeering, corruption, and for plotting an attempted coup against his majesty, Prince Michael Octavius Dalton. By his order, you are henceforth banished from Eredas. Under pain of death. Get this filthy swine out of my sight!"

The police surrounded the woman, handcuffed her, and escorted her into an armored vehicle. It drove away from the school and that was the last time anyone ever saw or heard from Madame Angelmen.

Miss Goldwine stood beside Korinthia, watching as the armored vehicle vanished behind a building. "It's going to be a while before I get used to any of this," she said. "Was Cora...truly nothing more than your abilities, traits, and memories made into a physical form?"

Korinthia closed her eyes and turned her head the other way. "I am done explaining myself. I've told you what you needed to know. Cora is history now, Miss Goldwine. Now you have me. You can either accept that or continue to wallow over something that didn't even exist."

Miss Goldwine pursed her lips. "I understand. I will say no more. However, I do not tolerate you telling me she did not exist. Regardless of what she was, Cora was alive. She was loving and kind. And I miss her. I will get used to you, though, Korinthia. You know she looks a lot like you."

"I must be going now," Korinthia said walking away. "Prince Yuri's return is close at hand. We have a lot of preparing to do, don't we?"

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

"Everything's so much different now," Kasumi said, watching the waves crash against the shore. Korinthia had her back against the railing overlooking the sea. M, Nixie, Amy, Brandy, Jericho, Madeline, and Candy had gathered around her clad in casual attire.

"What happened to Krissa?" Cora asked again, having trouble eating the ice cream Kasumi bought for her.

Korinthia tapped the tip of her shoe on the ground. "She did what she had to do. But rest easy, for her sacrifice was not in vain. Where's your friend Yumi?" Korinthia asked. "The daughter of Yugi Muto. I desire to speak with her."

"Dunno," said Jericho. "She's long gone now. I have no clue as to where she went."

"Yumi haz her own things to deal with," said Madeline. "But what about us? We still have to deal wiz zose Banner Duelists. Zey are still out there."

"I will deal with them myself," said Cora.

"Bullshit," Nixie argued at once. "You couldn't even handle Clovis by yourself. Spare me this lone wolf crap. I'm in this fight, too! My friend is under their clutches. I need to help him see the light somehow. I won't let him be used by the Covenant any longer. I'm ready to kick their asses."

"Hell yeah!" said Jericho. "What say you, Korri? You gonna let us join you Banner Hunting?"

Korinthia took a moment to think about it. "Hmm. Well, I owe you all that much."

"Then let's get started," said M. "Why don't we all head to my house and practice?"

"So long as your mom is making that sweet Akuudan curry, I'm in," said Brandy.

"Hey, curry for everyone!" said M. "Come on, guys."

Cora was about to move, but Kasumi grabbed her by the wrist. "Yes — mmph!" Kasumi leaned forward and kissed her long and good. Then she let her go. Cora blinked and smiled, rubbing her nose against Kasumi's. "What in the HELL was that all about?"

Kasumi turned a shade of crimson and placed her hand on her cheek in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, I..." She clutched both of Cora's hands. "I'm not going to lose you, Cora. I'm in this fight as well. We'll take on the Banner Duelists and any other foes out there together. For Krissa."

"Yeah. We'll do it for her. After she —" Cora stopped. Kasumi looked like she was frozen in time. She was as still as a statue. Then she turned and looked at the others. They stopped moving as well.

Then, an eerie whistle echoed in the air. Someone was approaching her from the shadows of a nearby alley. He had a little robot following him. He was tall and had spiked blond hair that was gelled up into a point, and dark green bangs that formed some kind of a trident shape. He sported a black trenchcoat with glowing blue accents.

Korinthia sighed with relief. "They told me it would be a matter of time before you came to me...Kite Tenjo. What brings you into this world?"

"So you're Kite," Cora said. "Nice trick you got there."

"Cora," Kite said, walking towards a vacant table. He motioned her to sit down. She did, followed by Korinthia. When both girls sat, Kite joined them. He took a card out of his pocket and spun it around. "I've heard lots of interesting things about this place. Apparently, you're not the only one in this world who has been gifted with a special kind of dragon."

"What do you mean?" Cora asked.

"Hold on," said Korinthia. "So it's true? The stories are true?"

Kite nodded. "She's returned," Kite said, stopping the card and showing Korinthia his Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon. "And you're going to help me find her."

* * *

**End of Book I**


	34. Book II: The Maiden of the Stars

** _ _ **

* * *

** _Book II: The Maiden of the Stars_ **

* * *

_Once upon a time, as all stories begin, there lived a High King named Jaume Pendragon, the last of the mighty Pendragon Dynasty that had ruled Termnnia for over 5000 years since Tiberius united the continent. He was a king who had everything. Riches beyond anything a mortal man could dream of, a beautiful wife, and the power of the God Cards, who fiercely defended his kingdom. But despite all this, he was sad. He had everything a man could want except for one thing._

_A child. Jaume was reaching his twilight years, and still, he had no child to call his own. The halls of the Spire of the Kings were massive and quiet. Long had Jaume and his wife, Queen Shi'Larra of the Neldiar — the Golden Elves — wanted to hear the sound of a mischievous child running through the halls ahead of them. The years had gone by and still, Shi'Larra bore nothing but stillborn children._

_One night, she ran into the mountains, ashamed that she could not bear any children for her darling husband. She went to the Crown River and wept. But then, something wonderful happened. She looked up and saw a star falling towards her. Before she could make her wish, the star zoomed towards her and revealed itself to be a Shooting Star Dragon, a herald of Entuli, Goddess of the Stars._

_"Woman," the dragon said. "Why do you weep here? Why are you sad?"_

_"Blessed dragon," the Queen said. "My husband is old and is getting weak. Long has he desired a child to play with and nurture. But alas, my womb has been cursed. I haven't been able to bear him any fruit. I am useless."_

_"You are not worthless, dear woman," Shooting Star Dragon said. "And you will no longer feel sad. I bring great news. The Goddesses have watched you and your family for many, many years. We know of your misfortunes, and it is a pity since you have brought much love and prosperity to this kingdom with your good deeds. Entuli, whom I serve, has decided to bless you with a child. On the eve of the third day in February, look to the skies. And Entuli will bless you with the fruit you so desire. Fare thee well, Shi'Larra, Bearer of Entuli's Brightest Star."_

_The dragon flew away. As instructed, on the third day, the King and Queen went to the highest point of the Spire to look at the sky. As soon as the sun went down, and the stars illuminated the skies with their radiance, an asteroid fell from the heavens and smashed into the gardens. The king called his workers to come up at once, and they quickly opened the asteroid. Inside, a baby girl was sleeping. She had a golden coronet on her head and a star imprinted on her shoulder. Resting beside her was an egg, glowing photon blue. The King and Queen rejoiced at the sight of their precious gift. Finally, they had a child. A beautiful daughter. And Jaume named her Evangelia._

_To celebrate her first month, the King and Queen invited all the lords and lesser king from all over Termnnia. And three red witches named Daisy, Minerva, and, Brunhild - who were dear friends of Pendragons since the age of Tiberius - flew down and blessed the girl with radiant gifts from great beauty, to a voice that could cause flowers to bloom, and the gift of radiance. Even Mana, Goddess of the Arcane, came down and blessed the girl with great knowledge of the magic arts. Evangelia was then presented with a sword, crafted from the metal of the asteroid that she fell in. It was called Sinnion — Starcutter._

_But peace and happiness did not last long. King Roderick Rosenkruz and his court magician, Manaywddan fab Lyr; who had poisoned the family's minds with a lust for power, attacked Rassay with an army of five million strong and 600 paladins riding Blue-Eyes White Dragons. They had overtaken the city within days and then started storming up the castle. Fearing for his wife and daughter, Jaume ordered the Red Witches to lead them to safety. He would stay and fight back the armies of the White Rose. He could not use his ability to summon the God Cards because he had grown too old, and their gift was already passed down to the princess, but she was too young and too weak to summon them._

_The Red Witches and the Queen escaped the Spire through a series of underground tunnels unknown to even the Black Luster Soldiers who guarded the Spire. Jaume wasn't so lucky. King Roderick ordered his head cut off. It was placed on a pike and displayed at the gates below for all to see, and his body was shot with arrows and paraded across the city._

_The Queen and the Red Witches did not get away so easily, for there was no hiding from the evil eyes of Manawyddan fab Lyr. He saw where they were going and sent an army of mercenaries to chase them down. The sellswords pursued them for days on end, with no signs of escape._

_On the sixth day of the chase, a great horn blew, rallying the 10,000 bloodthirsty soldiers, ready to murder the little princess. Daisy wept and held Princess Evangelia tighter in her arms. The ground underneath her knees trembled as though a Giant of Belroth was sprinting across the land in all its fury. Again, the horn rang over the fields of Dar-Lemíond._

_For the Red Witches, it was a harbinger of their demise blown by Talvía's Reaper. The pace of the riders quickened. Minerva's magical aegis still protected her sisters and the princess from the volley of arrows that sang over the fields of endless green with patches of yellow and blue from countless wildflowers that bloomed for the birth of spring. However, the queen's body was struck with fifteen of the blasted missiles. Her body shook gruesomely with each impact. Brunhild wailed when her ears picked up the sound of steel sticking through flesh and bone._

_The poor Elf-woman wanted nothing more than to be a mother. Now that she had her chance, her life was ended. She never had the chance to see her baby girl grow. Never would Shi'Larra see her precious daughter scampering down the halls of the Spire of the Kings laughing and singing. She would never watch her first Duel or witness her bloom into a young woman._

_All those hopes were taken from her by greed and vengeance. Now, poor Evangelia would never get to wreak hers upon those who took her birthright, her kingdom, and her parents away. She would serve as a slave to House Rosenkreuz in a forced marriage. But that was only if she was lucky. There was no doubt in Daisy's mind, or sister's minds, that these men would surely kill the princess here on this hilltop._

_The horn. Again it sounded, echoing over the fields. Daisy noticed something odd with the ground. It started to grow calmer and evermore still. The mercenary horsemen raised their pikes and pulled the reigns of their steeds; for they realized that the horn sounding off behind the pine trees on the edge of the fields was not one of theirs._

_The land was darkened by a beast of colossal size unlike anything ever seen before since the War of the Giants thousands of years ago. Underneath the beast, a tidal wave of indigo, gold, and brilliant white surged onto the fields, dominating the canvas of everlasting green. It was the paladins of High King Angrod Goldenshield's House. The monster that flew above them was a monster dubbed Alshadar._

_But to the Elves, he was known as the Antul-Dregolast. **First of the Dragons** (ATK/2700 DEF/2000 LV 9). He was a creature as old as time. The first wyrm of Saafani to enter Keya._

_Alshadar created a wall of flames, bathing the horsemen in a void of searing agony that lasted but a few seconds before they turned to ash. He then formed a ring around the army of mercenaries, trapping them as the Goldenshield Paladins marched towards them to undergo a battle that would forever be known as the Dar-Lemíond Ehím Úroneth. The Massacre of Dar-Lemíond. The afternoon rang with the sound of steel cutting flesh and the agonizing screams of the mercenaries who dared harm the goddaughter of the Elvish High King._

_"Hurry! Hurry!" Minerva said, gathering their steeds. "They will lead us to safety!"_

_Daisy climbed on her horse, Evangelia sleeping safe in one arm. The Red Witches dashed behind a wall of golden shields. The Elves parted to form a path for them and the princess, and then formed ranks, closing the path after they passed by. The scent of burning flesh stung their noses and ash fell from the sky like snow. Behind them, a song of death and bloodshed was sung by the mercenary army._

_Those who survived would be tortured mercilessly. The Elves would carve their bodies into small pieces and then sent them back to the members of House Rosenkreuz in baskets. Each of their heads was stuck onto golden spikes and lined outside of Rassay to discourage any who dared follow Mannawyden's orders to hunt and kill Princess Evangelia._

_These horrors were caused by the rescue of the Antul-Dregolast. But the Red Witches knew it was a punishment that was well-deserved. Once the battle was well behind them, they stumbled into the forests of Brenlost where Orcs, who harried the northern borders of Emboldor, ambushed them and scattered the witches from their saviors. The Orcs pursued them to the Ford of Dúmloth where no doubt they would have been captured or killed, but the power of Aafi, which still blessed the waters of the Sinion, saved them from their enemies. She bloated the rivers and drowned the Orcs that chased the Red Witches, allowing them to escape out of the ford. But for days they wandered in great privation in the forests knowing not the way to press on or to return._

_Then one night, the Shooting Star Dragon that prophesized the birth of the raven-haired princess soared out of the darkness and summoned a star with a long tail the pointed them to the direction of the hidden kingdom of Finellir which no man had ever seen. There, they entered the great palace of one-hundred levels where Angrod the High King, and godfather to Evangelia, received them well. He treated the Red Witches with warm beds and a great feast with music and laughter to ease their weary souls. At the head of the table, Angrod sat on his golden chair alongside his wife Queen Caeleldriel, who was quick to find love in the little princess._

_The Red Witches dwelt as guests for many years, and as time passed Evangelia became more and more beautiful. But her presence brought great sorrow throughout the palace, for no one had ever seen such a child. She never cried, but then she never laughed; she was never angry, but then never a smile came to her darling face. She never caused mischief, but then she never spoke a word. She just sat about in the library reading; never going outside to play with the children. When she was not occupied with the books, she sat at the courtyard fountain and gazed at the hidden kingdom with her beautiful eyes, and at night she slept like an angel._

_Angrod often said he found more life in a porcelain doll than in Evangelia, and called her Névínan, meaning Little Doll. On the eve of her fifth birthday, the mysterious egg that was found in the meteor that fell the night of her birth, had hatched. The little wyrmling (Known in Duel Monsters as Galaxy-Eyes Cloudragon) would be called Jaume after her father. The hatchling grew to be Evangelia's trusted friend and brought a smile to her face for the first time since coming into the palace. They grew inseparable, finding a love between human and beast unlike anything seen before._

_But there was a war brewing in the borders of the kingdom against an army of Orcs who nested in the heart of the volcano Mt. Nelfor, and while safe within his borders, Angrod felt Evangelia could no longer find the halls of his palace home. With his forces focused on the Orcs, they failed to notice assassins that snuck into the palace._

_They were killed by Angrod's son Erthond who was quick to learn of their presence thanks to his keen senses. When their bodies were presented to the king, the killers were discovered bearing the white rose of Rosenkreuz, and Angrod feared for Evangelia's life. So he ordered the Red Witches to take her to the city of Crystalcourt nestled by the glistening waters of the lake Mithrellas. But they would not find home within the walls of the city. Instead, the Red Witches would raise the girl in a cottage at the roots of the mountain overlooking the town. There they raised her for many years._

_Evangelia continued to grow and had lost all memory of the city Finellir, but never of Angrod who visited her in secret once a year during her birthday, offering her gifts and riches to live a comfortable life. Evangelia had grown accustomed to her new home in no time at all. She became gentle of heart and loved not the prospect of war. Her love was blessed to the trees that safeguarded the cottage where she lived and to the flowers that blossomed in the clearing near a pond where she played with Jaume. She became a singer and maker of songs, a skill that allowed her to come home with a purse bloated with gold coins and Star Chips she earned from singing at the tavern. Her voice rang like silver bells through the forest, and was as rich as the waters of the river Kryst that flowed next to her home._

_To ensure her safety, the name Evangelia Pendragon was erased from the little girl's memory, and soon she became known in the town by her Norman name, Lalaïth. The girl would remain in the town for so many years until it was time for her to reclaim all that she had lost._

* * *

**Neilina**

* * *

The vast Greek farmlands were washed in gold and red from the early morning light. The mountains appeared reddish-purple against the horizon. Sheep began their march across the fields to find a better place to graze, pushing and shoving for the sweetest and greenest patches of grass.

At the center of the fields, there was a blue farmhouse perched by a pond. Here Neilina Konstantinopolis sat on the front porch, sketching a strange beast on the final page of her leather notebook. She blew the excess chalk off her drawing and carefully mopped them aside with her fingertips so as not to smudge her artwork.

A gust of wind blew from the mountain and caused her long chocolate brown hair to wave in front of her face, waking her from the sleep that consumed her. She muttered a curse and swept it behind her ear. She sighed, relieved that her drawing had not been ruined. It was of a dragon with bright blue eyes with a body that looked like it was made of starlight.

Ever since the eve of her sixteenth birthday, she started having dreams of this awesome creature. At first, they frightened her. The visions started off as terrible nightmares that scared her so awfully she wet the bed. But the more she had the dream, the more she realized that the dragon seemed more benign than evil. In no time at all, it started growing on her to the point where she called it her guardian angel.

Seeing the creature in her dreams felt cool for lack of a better word. And she had also been getting visions of medieval castles, knights in shining armor, and giant dragons who were born from starlight flying above her. Something strange was going on, but her mother said it was just the stresses of her farm life and possibly illusions caused by the stress of working on the farm.

Bullshit, she thought. Her dreams felt more like memories. She could smell the world around her, feel it, even smell it.

_What could it all mean?_

She sighed and gazed up at the sky. The brown fuzz that trimmed the hood of her dark-green parka blew about, tickling her cheek. She also wore a denim skirt that started tearing from all the farmwork she did over the summer. She was responsible for a number of chores ranging from feeding the chickens, chopping the wood, and gathering olives in the orchids. All that work tore the black leggings she wore underneath the skirt. Her grandmother offered to repair it, but she rather enjoyed what the holes did to her look. It was simple, just the way she liked it, unlike those girls in the city where she would be going back to very soon.

"_But I don't want to be a Duelist!_" she whined many weeks ago.

Neilina wanted to go to the university to pursue a career as a lawyer. But her family had different plans. She lived with her grandparents, for she had lost both her mother and her father in a terrible car accident just a week after she was born. Her grandfather made a decent living working in the banks in the city. But the economic collapse of 2009 plunged him into hard times and forced him to leave that career.

He resettled living in the old farmhouse his parents owned long ago and took care of his wife and granddaughter there. But unfortunately for Neilina, her grandfather put himself in an even graver situation with loan sharks. When he could no longer pay them, they came by and squeezed him for everything he had, even threatening to take Neilina if he didn't have enough to pay them back. Not wanting to live with that, he was forced to give them all the horses, his prized bull, a dozen pigs, and 15% of the money he made off the olives and other produce he sold.

Now, there wasn't enough money to pay to feed her, let alone get her to a public school. Yes, education in Greece was free, but a great deal many other things weren't. Transportation, housing, food, clothing. It took a great deal of negotiating, but her grandparents struck a deal with her aunt, who was making a comfortable living in Athens making quality clothing for high-paying clients. And her husband was a well-known figure in the world of Duel Monsters for making custom Duel Disks for the rich and spoiled. Her aunt said she would allow Neilina to live with her on the condition that she enroll in the new Dueling Academy that was recently built near the mountains.

Without even bothering to ask what she thought, her grandparents sealed the deal and dubbed her Aunt Krysta as her new legal guardian. Not long after the deal was made, and it was announced that Neilina was going to be moving, a couple of her neighbors pooled some extra money and bought her a structure deck to use at school.

It was a sweet gesture and one Neilina could not refuse, despite how much she wanted to.

"Anxious?" Her grandmother, Justina, asked as she rocked back and forth in her chair. She was hard at work sewing new underwear for Neilina for her first day of school along with socks and a new scarf.

"No, mama," Nelina replied softly. "Do I really have to leave the farm?"

Justina took off her glasses and rubbed her hands up and down her eyes. She did not want to have this discussion again. "I'm afraid we have no choice, my little one. Your grandfather had good intentions, but resources were too far and few to make them a reality. He put his foot in his mouth and cost us dearly. Oh, come now, don't look so glum. What child doesn't want to go to Athens? You'll be living in the city now. You'll make some new friends, see new places. Oh, and the Parthenon. You've always wanted to see that, yes?"

"With you and Papa," Neilina replied sadly. "It's not going to be the same without you. We're going to be so far away. I don't want to leave you."

"It's not going to be forever, little one. We can still see each other during the holidays. And think. If you become a famous Duelist, we can see each other anytime we want. Won't that be good?"

"I'm more concerned with keeping you happy, Mama. Hopefully, I'll earn enough money to get you two out of this mess and maybe live in Athens with me."

"Me? In the city? Oh, my dear. I've been cooped up in the country for way too long. No, I like it here. Yes, I grew up in Athens, but it was so noisy and busy. It's no place for an old bird like me. Don't you worry about us so much. You're still young. You have your whole life ahead of you. There's so much to do. So much to see. You should be proud that an opportunity like this has even presented itself."

"I'll do what I can, Mama, but I am never going to leave you or Papa behind. If I can't take you to Athens with me, at least let me afford to get you out of this debt with those crooks from the bank. Maybe even some air conditioning."

Her grandmother smiled. "What did we ever do to deserve you? What are you drawing there?"

Neilina held up her notebook. "I had the dream last night. It visited me again."

Her grandmother muttered a few choice words and placed her leathery hand on her cheek. "I thought we had you Christened? Perhaps there was something wrong?"

Neilina frowned. "It's not evil, mama. I know it's not. Don't worry, I'm not afraid."

"Well, I am. I do not like that you're having these dreams, my love. It's those Duel Monster cards, I swear. I don't know why they have to make those monsters look so evil. They get worse and worse with each new set."

"Well, I could just not play if it makes you feel better."

Her grandmother wagged her finger. "Now, now, now. I don't like them, but that doesn't mean you can't play. Come on inside. Let's get supper ready."

* * *

**Candy**

* * *

Hot steam hissed through the bathroom door when it opened. Candy walked out, draped in a pink towel, and she had another draped around her soaked hair. She clutched Mr. Gael over her chest. Mr. Gael had a greedy smile on his face, for he was quite content with his bath.

"I loooove, bath time," he said, sticking a paw into his ear to dry it out. "Don't you Candy?"

"Uh, yes," she said, setting him down on her dresser. She dried him up with a small towel then combed his fur until it was shiny. "There. You're all better."

"Damn right," Mr. Gael said, hopping off the dresser toward the sitting room. He kicked back and started watching cartoons. "Be a dear and get me a beer and a bag of chips, would ya, Candy?"

"Sure," Candy said nervously.

She didn't want to make him angry. He had just killed people this night, and it always brought out the beast inside of him. And that was something Candy was not looking forward to waking up. She went to the kitchen to fetch him his drinks and his snacks while tying her hair into long pigtails. When he was nice and comfy with his food and favorite pillow, Candy went to her room to dry herself and change into her pajamas.

Just then, her phone let out a very jingly ringtone that annoyed Mr. Gael.

"Candy! Answer that!" he shouted from the couch.

Candy yelped, startled by his loud command. She had her Märfae-themed pajama pants halfway up, her confusion caused her to lose her balance. She tripped, falling hard on the floor. "Aww, ow!" she moaned, rubbing her chin. She hurried to the phone, which lay on her bed, whose sheets exploded with pink, violet, magenta, periwinkle, white, and razzle-dazzle rose-colored flowers, stars, and hearts. That made finding her phone hard; for its pink colors blended well against the bedsheet's motif. She finally found her phone underneath her stuffed elephant and answered.

"Hello?" she answered, pulling her pants up with one hand. "Madeline! How are you? Nervous? Why?"

"It's Cora," Madeline answered.

"What's wrong with Cora?"

"She's been having nightmares for the past couple of weeks. Every night it's been the same thing. She wakes up screaming and goes into a frenzy. Tonight was even worse. She almost jumped out the window."

"Oh, Goddesses!" Candy said. She slumped backward in her bed and groaned. "Where are you guys? Are you back at the apartment?"

"Oui. I waz staying over wiz her and Kasumi to go to school tomorrow. Everything waz going just fine. Ze next thing I know, Cora starts screaming for her nightmares to get out of her head. Kasumi suggested that the group gets together to help her relax. Do you think you could make it?"

"I wish I could, but I've got a ton of stuff to prepare for the school bake sale."

"I understand. Well, I guess we will be seeing you at school zen, little one."

"Me and Mr. Gael will be there. We're going to cook up a storm."

Madeline went silent. "I'll see you at school, Candy."

"Uh...great, I'll see you there in the morning."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Okay. Bye." Candy hung up and sighed. "Man, why won't anyone believe that Mr. Gael is alive?"

"Cuz, I'm not," Mr. Gael said walking into her room. "And I'd appreciate it if you stopped telling everyone that I was. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"But we have to tell them sooner or later, Mr. Gael. Everyone thinks I'm crazy and they can't see you for the hero that you are. Oh, please, Mr. Gael, you have to tell them who you are."

"I said no!" Mr. Gael said, his claws burst from out of his paws. "Or do I have to scratch you to get you to shut up."

"No! No! No! I'll stop telling, everyone, I promise."

His claws retracted back into his paws. "That's a good girl. Listen, I pretend to sit around acting like a bear for your own good. It's a dangerous world out there, Candy. Especially for a pipsqueak like you. You can't walk out there without putting your life at risk. You know that. They can't know it's me protecting you. I want them to think you're tough! That you're strong. That you're a bad girl who shouldn't be messed around with. If the world thinks you need a protector, then they'll keep preying upon you. Always! The darkness and evil that walks this universe will never eat — it will never sleep — it will never rest until it has you in its clutches. That is unless it fears you. I want you to be someone the world fears, understand?"

Candy nodded her head.

"Good. You can't trust anyone, remember that? Not even your friends. Friends don't last forever. They'll turn their backs on you on a dime! So stop getting super chummy with the group! Or do I have to remind you, what happened?"

Candy whimpered like a scorned puppy and hugged her stuffed elephant tightly, rocking it back and forth in her arms.

"Yeah, that's right. You sold your soul to me to save your boyfriend from his sickness. He was really messed up, huh?"

"Yes," Candy answered with a shaky voice. A big tear rolled down her cheek. She let out a squeaky sniff. "I would have done anything for him."

"Of course, you would have. You made the ultimate sacrifice to keep him from dying. And how does this motherfucker repay you for your kindness? He sells you to those goons like you were some pet. They were really rough on ya, huh?"

"They were terrible. I still have nightmares about it."

"Aww," Mr. Gael climbed up on the bed and sat down in front of her. He handed her a tissue from the infinite inventory of the pocket in his belly. Candy took it and blew her nose in it. "There, there, Candy. But let that be a lesson to you. You can't trust anyone. Not even Cora and her friends."

"But you want me to trust them."

"I want you to hang around them to make you look good! We need them! We don't trust them! You can get chummy with them, but they're not your friends. Especially that Jericho girl. Oof, she's stiffer than the stiffs back in the Shadow Realm. Rember. I'm your only friend. I'm the only one who truly loves you. Right? Who's my special girl?"

Candy wiped a tear away with her finger and smiled. "I am."

"You're darn, right. We'll make it to the big time if you just follow my lead. We got into the Kaiba girl's group. Stick with them, and there ain't nothin' that can stand in our way!"

"You always know what to do, Mr. Gael. You know, I loved the way you tore those men apart. Their screams. Their sobs. Their blood painting the walls. Their suffering. It made me feel so much better. I felt safe because I knew my hero was protecting me."

Mr. Gael put his paws behind his back. "Aww, shucks. Well, you know me. Anything to make my little girl happy."

Candy squealed with delight and picked up her bear, squeezing him tight. "I love you, Mr. Gael. You're my best friend! Thanks for being there for me."

* * *

**Neilina**

* * *

The days came and went, and on a hot, steamy, morning, Neilina's aunt arrived in a Karlmann King. The luxury SUV stopped outside the farmhouse, the pebbles and rocks on the dirt road crunched underneath its large tires. The driver honked the horn to let them know they were there.

"Neilina!" her grandmother called, running away from the window in excitement. "She's here! She's here!"

"Hmph," grunted Nielina's grandfather, peering through the flowery curtains. "That's Krysta alright. Doesn't even have the decency to come out and greet us. The bitch."

Justina ran for the bottom of the stairs and called up to Neilina who was still in her room. "Nielina! Come, come, she's here!"

"Yes, Mama, I know. I heard her."

"Hurry and come down. Your aunt is not a very patient woman. Did you wash your face?"

"Four times."

"Is everything packed?"

"Yes. I have all my things ready."

"Ah, good girl. Are you packing enough underwear?"

"Did I pack enough?! Mama, you bought and sewed me enough underwear to stock all the girls in the academy."

"And did you eat something?"

"Papa fried me an egg earlier. Don't worry so much."

Neilina's grandfather scoffed. "For God's sake, leave her alone, Justina. She's a big girl now. She can take care of herself."

"I hope so. I'm just worried she'll get lost in that big city. What if she doesn't make any friends? What if she goes out at night and is alone in those streets? Oh, and I just don't know about those city boys. They're so wild and raunchy. I don't want my Neilina mixing with such slobs."

"Enough! Let the girl grow. She has to for our sake. And I do hope a stern education can erase those 'dreams' she keeps having. The pastor from the Church wanted to bless her yesterday, hoping dousing her in holy water will make that dragon she keeps seeing disappear. If she talks about those dreams in the city, they will chew her up."

"What now?"

"We can only trust her. I made her promise to never speak of those dreams when she's with her aunt. She's going to be a great Duelist, Justina, mark my words. Neilina is going to be a queen in the world of Duel Monsters one day. I bet she'll be so strong she'll defeat Leon Montgomery. She'll live in Aquarius with the other champions. Maybe she'll even make a boyfriend with Yuri. Either way, she's going to make us rich."

Justina did not approve of that. "Papa! You should be ashamed of yourself! Treating your granddaughter like she was a cash cow or something."

"Let me dream! She's all we have left to leave this life behind. Do you think I like breaking my back and tending to those fucking animals all day? I grow weary of this. This is not how I want to spend the rest of my days" — the horn beeped again — "she's coming!" he shouted out the window. "Neilina! Hurry up!"

He calmed down, took a seat by the table, and drank a glass of water. "I wanted us to relax and enjoy our twilight years, love. We should be watching the sunset in Santorini like I promised you we would. We should be having drinks in Chania. Not toiling on a farm like this."

Justina's scowl faded. She walked behind her husband and patted his shoulders. "Papa. None of those things mattered to me. All I cared about was seeing you and Neilina happy. And we were. We've fallen into rough times, but no matter what, we always overcame them with smiles on our faces. You have every right to be proud of her and think so highly of her. You raised her well, Gregori. Ever since she was a little girl, you've taught her to follow her dreams. Nelina's dreams were to make you and me happy, no matter what the cost. And what better way than to become an elite Duelist? It's not a path she wanted to take, but if it means making us happy, Nelina will do it. She's such a strong little angel, yes she is."

The wooden stairs began to creak as Neilina came down from her room, dragging a heavy suitcase and wearing a backpack overburdened with her books. Already she had tears in her eyes. Her grandmother cooed and held her granddaughter tightly in her arms for one last hug.

"I don't want to," Neilina sobbed. "I don't want to leave."

"Enough!" snapped her grandfather. "You have to be strong now. You must! If you want to help us overcome these obstacles, you must make sacrifices. You will always have to make sacrifices; remember that. Nothing in life comes cheap, my dear. Now, dry those tears and give your grandfather a big hug."

Neilina hugged him and sobbed into his chest. He petted her hair lovingly and kissed the top of her head. Her grandmother came by with a handkerchief and wiped her tears away. The horn beeped again making Gregori curse and tell the driver to shut up.

It was time to go. One more round of hugs and Neilina went out the door, toward the Karlmann King, where the driver was waiting for her by the passenger door. He was getting hot, his fancy suit was sticking to his body with sweat. He smiled, but it was a forced smile. Deep down he was screaming for Neilina to hurry up and get in the SUV so he could get back inside.

"Hello, Miss Nelina. I'm Dylan. Your aunt's driver and yours during your time in school." He shook her hand. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure to meet you, Dylan. Thank you."

Dylan opened the door so she could go in. Nelina took one last look at her grandparents. They stood on the front porch waving sadly, tears streaming down both their faces. Neilina blinked rapidly and blew them both kisses. She waved one last time and stepped into the vehicle. She was greeted by a blast of cool, refreshing air. It smelled awfully of perfume. There were two seats in the back. Her aunt, Krysta, who didn't even greet her, was sitting on the right one.

"Well come in, child, come in," she said, eyes still glued to her laptop. She was in the middle of a very important conference, which lasted a long duration of the trip to Athens.

For a long time, they both said nothing to each other, and Neilina stared out the window of the fancy SUV, which seemed so out of place amongst the rusty pickup trucks and jalopies that put-putted down the road beside them.

"Goodbye, we'll talk on Thursday," Neilina's aunt said, exiting from the conference and shutting her laptop.

Krysta looked at her niece with a sarcastic smile, and for the first time since getting in the SUV, did Nelina get a good look at her. Her aunt was a tall, slender woman, with pale skin, a pretty, but very stern face, and silky orange-red hair tied into a small bun at the top of her head. Her pale cheeks were red with blush and her eyes were heavily outlined with mascara. Her eyelashes were curved and looked like raven's wings when they blinked.

"So," she said at last. "First thing's first. When we get back to the villa, you are to strip out of those rags and take a bath. You smell terrible. Augh, if I had known you reeked this awfully, I would have brought another vehicle."

"Why would it matter?" Neilina asked, getting awfully offended.

"Ha! Honey, this is a Karlmann King, the most expensive SUV in the world. Had it imported from Dubai from an old friend. I made him an offer he could not refuse for this work of art." She noticed the displeasure in Neilina's face and chuckled. She patted the top of Nelina's head and said: "But you're pretty, I'll give you that. Trade those glasses of yours for contacts, have my boy Carlo fix that hair, add a little makeup, and boom! You'll be the crown jewel of the academy."

"I don't think I need make up to look pretty," Nelina said. "My grandparents said beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Her aunt rolled her eyes. "A noble thing to say, but these are the days of Instagram and Snapchat. Phrases that speak of true beauty are nothing but a lie as far as I'm concerned. As cold as this may sound, it's all about the looks, my dear. The presentation. Besides, you need to look your best if you want to live under my roof. I need you to shine bright like a diamond."

"Uh, diamonds don't shine. They reflect."

"Rule number two," her aunt said holding up two fingers. "Don't be a smartass."

Neilina could only nod. "That's rule two of how many?

"Oh, believe me, many. The first rule of living with me. You are to do as I tell you. You will obey me like I was your own mother. Fail to follow those rules and you will be punished. But there are only three strikes. Three strikes, and I'll send you back to Old MacDonald's farm. Then you guys are on your own. Don't test me on that, Neilina. I know your grandfather has fallen into hard times with some loan sharks. This could be your chance to get him out of that mess, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah. I guess so."

"Good girl. Rule two. Like I said, don't be a smartass. That will also count into the strike system I set up for you. Talk back to me or try to be smarter than me, and I'm kicking you out with a big, red impression of my hand on your ass. Rule three. I expect you to do well in school. I expect at least a 3.0 GPA while you're in the academy. That leads to rule four. I expect you to win matches at the academy. If you want the pro leagues to take notice of you, then you need to make a big impact at school. My husband's closest friend is an expert on Duel Monsters. He will be your instructor and has worked hard to build you a very fine deck to play with. Use it well. We invested a lot of money into you, Nelina. I wouldn't have done so if I didn't think you could become something great. With a little discipline and know-how in the world of business, I think I can forge you into the crown jewel of this family. However, if you prove me wrong. It's out of my house with you. Don't disappoint me, Nelina. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes."

"Good." She handed Neilina a small package wrapped in white and topped with a red bow. "This is for you."

Neilina thanked her aunt and opened the package. It was a brand new phone, tall and wide. "Wow, thank you."

"Don't mention it," Krysta said, resting her head against the back of her seat. "Wake me when we get there."

After a few more hours on the road, Nelina saw herself smack-dab in the middle of Athens, Greece. Neilina used her new phone to snap very high-quality photos of the city, which looked radiant at night. Her mouth was wide open in wonder when she saw the Acropolis Hill and the famous Parthenon shining on top of it. The driver took them outside of the city to a place where the very wealthy lived. Finally, it stopped in front of a large villa, lit up with garden lights and lamp posts. Krysta yawned, stuffed her laptop back in its messenger bag, and walked out.

"Hurry up," she said to Neilina. "Dylan will take care of your things.

Neilina sighed heavily, taking a deep breath as she stared at the villa. Dinner was being made for her, but before she could even think about sitting down to eat, her aunt ordered Neilina to follow her to the backyard. There was a boy named Rolo standing there, smiling confidently as the sun was setting behind him.

"Ah, so you're the opponent I was promised. I understand you've got talent."

"Who is this?" Neilina asked.

"This is Rolo. Your uncle and I are sponsoring him. He's the right opponent for you because he's still new and is still learning about the game. But don't think he's easy. Rolo ranked tenth out of six hundred players in the Rookie Cup. He'll provide you with a challenge, I hope. Do you have your deck with you?"

"Yes."

"Good. Take this." Aunt Krysta went to a bar table nearby and picked up a black Duel Disk. "It's a defunct your uncle didn't care to use anymore. He decided you could have it."

Neilina stared in wonder at the contraption. She had never seen a Duel Disk up close before, let alone got to hold one. She took off her jacket and placed the contraption on her forearm. "Wow. It's a little heavy," she said.

"Hmph. A little exercise and some vitamins will help you get used to the weight. For now, show me what you've got. Demonstrate to me that you are worthy to go to that school, Neilina. You don't have to win or lose this game. I just want to see if you've got a feel for your cards."

"All right, sounds fair. Um, it's nice to meet you, Rolo."

"Nice to meet you, too, Neilina. We're going to be classmates, you and I. I hope we can be the best of friends."

"That's very nice of you, me too. But for now, we're going up against one another. Maybe we can catch up later."

"All right, sounds good to me. Get ready Neilina." He drew his five cards. "Like your aunt said, just because I'm new doesn't mean I'm a walk in the park. I'll show you what I'm capable of. I'll go first — if that's okay?"

Neilina shrugged it off. She didn't care.

"All right. I summon Night Express Knight!"

Train tracks rolled out from behind Rolo. The sound of a loud train's horn blew and disrupted the calm, causing a few birds to fly away in fright. The villa shook as a giant gold and white train with the upper body of a knight rolled towards them. It stopped right behind Rolo, blocking out the sun. The knight's arm was lance and the other a giant shield.

**ATK/3000 DEF/3000**

**LV 10**

"What? How in the world where you able to summon such a powerful monster like that?"

Rolo laughed. "Simple. His special ability lets me special summon him to the field without tribute. But, his attack and defense points become zero. And now that he's out on the field, I can special summon this card. Super Express Bullet Train!"

A second track, this time glowing bright blue, formed out of the sky and stopped next to Rolo's left side. A loud train horn shook the evening calm and then a black train resembling a starship came rolling down the tracks and stopped next to Rolo with a hiss.

**ATK/3000 DEF/0**

**LV 10**

"Perfect! Now I have just what I need for an Xyz Summon! I Overlay Night Express Knight and Super Express Bullet Train to summon Number 81: Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Super Dora!"

"Oh, a Number Card!" Neilina said, watching the two train monsters merge together and become a massive fortress on rails. The rail cannon alone was as tall as a skyscraper.

**ATK/3200 DEF/4000**

**Rank 10**

"Think you can handle my rail cannon, Neilina?" Rolo boasted.

"We'll see. Don't go doubting me just yet. I activate the spell..."

"Oh, no you're not. See this card!" He flipped the card dramatically with his fingers to show her what he uses to cancel her spell's activation.

Neilina frowned in disgust. "Ah, shit! Ash Blossom!"

"That's right. Now your spell ain't gonna work. Try again."

"All right. Not bad. But because your rail cannon was special summoned from the Extra Deck, I can special summon Adin the Dragma Oracle to the field!"

She placed the card on the blade and heard the processors and projectors humming loudly. Finally, her monster was rendered beside her. He was a tall sorcerer wearing all white decorated with gold ornaments and fancy gold tirmmings. He carried a massive tome in his hands, which he could use to invoke the ancient power of his world.

**ATK/1000 DEF/1800**

"And now I'll activate Spellbook of Secrets! Which lets me add Spellbook of Knowledge to my hand. And I'll activate it, sending Adin and another Spellbook card to add two cards to my hand. Now, I special summon another Adin from my hand and Exxlesia the Dragma Saint. And when she's normal or special summoned, I can add a Dragma card to my hand. Next, I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Rolo drew. "Okay, I play Pot of Greed and add two cards to my hand. Hmm, no good. I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"Draw!" Neilina cried out. She looked at her card. "Ah, neat. I play the spell, Fusion Deployment. I reveal to you a fusion monster from my extra deck. Here you go." She showed him a fiery dragon rising up from the earth.

"What's that card?" Rolo asked.

"You'll see him in a moment. Now, because I revealed him to you, I can special summon one of its fusion materials from my deck. I call on Albus the Nullius Filius!"

She summoned a white-haired man with dark, ashy skin. He wore revealing clothes colored black with dark gold engravings.

**ATK/1800 DEF/0**

Rolo removed an Xyz Material from his rail cannon. The cannon lowered and pointed at Neilina's monsters. "All right, now it's time for my Superdreadnought cannon to activate."

Neilina flashed a confident smirk. "I think not. you had your chance, but you blew it. I use a quickie (Quick effect)! Like the other Dramas I summoned, this monster can be special summoned when you have a monster on the field from the extra deck. I call upon Fleur de Lis the Dragma Knight!"

In a brilliant display of light and flashing orbs, the giant gray knight showed itself. He stood behind Neilina as though he were her guardian. He grunted and picked up his sword, which was lodged on the ground. On his other hand, he carried a round shield with tough glass. He wore a brilliant white cape that split into four tails, that waved like royal banners in the wind.

**ATK/2500 DEF/2500**

Rolo also couldn't help but smirk. He placed his hands on his hips and shook his head. He was a cool monster, but there was no stopping the rail cannon from blasting her field. "What's that overgrown rustbucket going to do?"

"When he's special summoned and I have a Dragma monster, he can negate the effect of your card for the turn."

The rail cannon stopped humming and then reared back up.

"Aww, you got lucky!" Rolo pouted.

"Lucky? I think not, my friend. Now, where was I? Oh, yes, Albus. I discard a card and then I can special summon a fusion monster using Albus and a monster you control. So, I'm going to borrow Superdreadnought Rail Cannon!"

"What? You can't!"

"Oh, I just did. Albus and Dora, fuse together and become, Bastard the Ashen Dragon!"

Albus and the rail cannon fused together. The earth trembled and cracked open as a steel dragon rose out from under the ground. Its metallic body was so pristine that there was not a scratch on it. Its wings, horns, and claws were glowing in a molten red, looking like magma made solid.

**Bastard the Ashen Dragon**

**ATK/2500 DEF/2000**

**LV 8**

Aunt Krysta was at a loss for words. She was better than she thought. "Oh, impressive."

"And now you're wide open, Rolo! I attack you with Bastard the Ashen Dragon!"

The steel dragon took flight, creating a fierce gust of wind. Neilina was impressed with how real the holographic technology was that even little things such as sight, sound, and even smell could be added to spice up the experience of the game. "All that for a card game?" she thought as Bastard shot out a fiery red beam, striking Rolo in the chest. Then, Fleur de Lis attacked, and when he did, he gave all Dragma monsters a 500 point boost, giving Neilina enough power to wipe Rolo out and win the Duel.

"I lost," Rolo said, going down on one knee. "Aww, man." He smacked the ground with his fist. "Wow, you're really good, Nelina."

"She is definitely skilled with her deck," Krysta said, walking around Neilina as if inspecting her. "But knowledge of one deck does not a Duelist make, young one. There is still much you have to learn. Especially you, Rolo. I bet you overstocked your deck with more of those train cards, eh?"

"Uh..." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, sorry."

"Sorry? You're never going to get the cards you need if you keep ruining the balance of your deck for the sake of having flashy cards. Every card must work with one another in perfect unity. Always have something to play no matter what the circumstance. I've seen players make huge comebacks in the pro leagues with just two cards in their hands. The synergy was just perfect."

"I understand," Neilina said, putting her jacket on. "I won't let you down, Aunt Krysta."

"See to it that you don't. Rolo, go home. Thanks for coming by and doing this for me."

"Yes, ma'am. And thank you for getting me to Athens Duel Academy. I can't wait to begin the semester."

He exchanged numbers with Neilina and then headed out the door. After a scrumptious dinner of garlic bread and pasta, Neilina grew tired. She helped her aunt with the dishes and headed upstairs. Once she found her room, she showered, dressed into her pajamas, got into bed, and slept like an angel all through the night.

* * *

**Lay for a Lost Queen**

* * *

** _Evangelia was a darling Queen_ **

** _Whom starry dragons proudly sing_ **

** _Her merry realm stretched wide and far_ **

** _By Singing Sea and under stars._ **

* * *

** _Her heart was pure, her reign brought glee_ **

** _Her people lived in harmony_ **

** _Infinite stars of heaven's skies_ **

** _Reflected in her gorgeous eyes_ **

* * *

** _Her sword shined bright, her crown, it gleamed_ **

** _Her celestial gown from far was seen_ **

** _Her foes then wept with guilty cries_ **

** _When looking at her starry eyes_ **

* * *

** _She smiled as she ruled the land_ **

** _Galaxy-Eyes at her command_ **

** _Their mighty wings brought endless light_ **

** _The realm shined brightly in her might._ **

* * *

** _Then long ago, she flew away_ **

** _And where she'd_ ** ** _ gone to, none can say_ **

** _Termnnia lost her brightest star_ **

** _Now it's a land where monsters are._ **

* * *

** _O' long ago, she flew away_ **

** _And soon the light began to sway_ **

** _Termnnia lost her brightest star_ **

** _Now it's a land where monsters are._ **


	35. The Last Semester

**Cora**

* * *

Ever since the incident on the ship, the weight of the Banner of Yeyu seemed to have lifted off her shoulders upon realizing how little power it truly had against her will and faith to the Goddesses. Cora thought about it during breakfast and couldn't help but assume wow….it'd be so pointless to use against us again. The Church and their followers seemed to be on the retreat for now. Even that loudmouth, Knox, failed to show up for his propaganda broadcast. In the morning, there was nothing but silence. Cora breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the Banner of Yeyu was a nuisance she no longer had to fear so long as she had the will to fight and her belief on Safaani was strong.

But that did not mean it was time to let up. The Banner of Yeyu was a farce, but nevertheless a very powerful farce. One that almost cost Cora and her friends their lives and hurt many others such as Ms. Goldwine, who still had nightmares of the hellish realm she was banished to when she lost her Banner Duel. The Covenant had its hands on something powerful and they were not going to give up trying to perfect it. Their will and determination were strong. They would keep looking.

Cora knew it would be unwise to assume she had seen the last of the Covenant and their 'Holy Magic'. He would be back and who knows what tricks up his sleeve he would have this time. That was why she felt it was imperative to find this girl who Kaito claimed was the Maiden of the Galaxy-Eyes

"Talk about power," Cora said, shoving a spoonful of corn flakes into her mouth.

The Blue-Eyes and the Galaxy-Eyes would definitely send a clear message to the Covenant and its followers that they had no power in this city anymore. And perhaps it could rally the people of Eredas against the organization. But the girl was in the other world. Earth. The realm where Yuri was hidden. That in itself made things very difficult. For one, not just anyone could use the Gates to travel between worlds. You needed a special pass to travel to different worlds. And only ten people in the world have that privilege. To make matters worse, since Yuri was on Earth, that made the world restricted, especially now after the long and bloody Gate Wars.

"You might as well not think about it," Ms. Goldwine said, pouring more milk into Cora's bowl. "That girl, if she's out there, is sadly beyond your reach."

"But I have to do something," Cora said, stirring the cereal around. "No one deserves to go through what you did when you were taken by the Banner."

Ms. Goldwine paused. "No. I guess not. So what do you intend to do about it?"

"That's the bitch of it, Ms. Goldwine. I don't know how I'm going to do it."

Ms. Goldwine laughed. "Well, you go do your thing, child. Just be safe out there. I haven't heard from Knox or anyone from the Church of Green Fire speak all day and that concerns me more than if they were yapping. They suffered a defeat, yes, but even a wounded wolf is still dangerous, so do keep an eye out when you're out there, Cora."

"I will," Cora said. She put on her coat and backpack, then dashed outside. Now that the Blizzard Dragon's mating season was over, the weather was getting warmer. It was still a little chilly, so Cora kept on her denim jacket. She rubbed her hands up and down the sleeves to warm up her arms and then proceeded down the steps of the Kaiba Towers.

"Do you need a ride, Lady Cora?" Roland asked, standing in the guardhouse with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"No thanks, I'll walk. But thanks anyway, Roland."

"Hmm," Roland said, pressing a button on the control panel to open the gate for Cora. "It's a little strange. I'm still getting used to all this."

"I understand where you're coming from, Roland. Must be weird having two girls coming out of nowhere coming to help Seto Kaiba, huh?"

"That's a bit of an understatement."

Cora looked at the ground sadly and blinked twice.

"Well, I meant no offense, of course. I was just getting used to Cora. And then Kori came along. She's a creepy one, she is. I heard from some of the guys that Miss Goldwine sends her off into the night to assassinate people. I hope that's not true."

"I'm pretty sure that's not the case," said Cora. "I'm not going to lie. Kori creeps me out, too."

"In a city like this, one can forget that magic of all kinds exists. The things that make our world happen. It brings a whole new perspective of who we are in this world. Seto Kaiba thinks he's top dog sitting atop that tower. But when you look at the bigger picture, he's nothing more than a pawn in the game of the Divines. The same goes for all the kings in the world. Yuri, too. I despise hate groups but, DESMAGI, they have every reason to be angry at spellcasters. Magic does some pretty messed up things to everyday life. It makes you see things in a new way and it's kind of scary. Makes you wonder what else is out there and what can it do. The history books detailing the Era of Great Heroes were once my favorite things to read. I loved to learn about knights riding dragons as wide as the sky, armored champions summoning Divine Beasts, and Queens with so much beauty they can melt a person's eyes away just for looking at her sinfully. But now...after all that's happened. I look at the things they did in those books and I'm glad they no longer exist. I pray that these mages bolted up in their towers don't unlock something they're not supposed to in their quest for 'understanding'. Some things are better left forgotten, especially in a chaotic world such as this."

Cora tapped the tip of her boot against the ground. "I'm sorry you think that way, Roland. Magic is a strange force, but I assure you in the right hands it can make the world better."

"And what if it's in the wrong hands?" Roland countered. "Don't answer that. I've seen it in the wrong hands more often than I can count. Those Banners I've seen you in are scary stuff. The things that happen should you lose is scary stuff. Very scary stuff. Lately, I haven't seen much good happen with magic — if not at all."

Cora said nothing after that. There wasn't much anyone could do to change one's mind when it came to these things. She merely patted the man on the shoulder and continued walking down the streets of Domino until she arrived at Rosenkruz Academy to begin her final semester before she went to Duelist Academy. Outside in the pavilion, there were colorful canopy tents set along the railings around the lake. There were students in there selling all kinds of things and hosting games and other activities.

Something sweet perfumed the air. Cora sniffed it and licked her lips. She followed the smell to a red canopy tent. On the tables were trays full of cookies, cupcakes, pies, and other tasty treats. Candy was decorating a few cookies with sugar crystals to make them look like flowers and she had stuffed Duel Monsters toys lined up for sale as well as all sorts of colorful flowers.

"Candy?" Cora said approaching her canopy. "You made all this?"

"Uh-huh, all of it. Phew," she wiped a veil of sweat off her forehead with her wrist. It was hot in there with all the ovens she had on. She was clad in a sugary-pink crop top and old, torn, denim overalls stained with flour and icing. "Headmistress Thaddeus was reinstated by the school board, which was recently replaced with new and better people by Prince Michael. I gave her some brownies as a gift and she just fell in love with them."

"Oh, did she now?"

"Yeah. In fact, she loved them so much, she put me in charge of the school bake sale. She said if I took the job, she'd grant me a special scholarship that will help keep me in school. It will involve me putting a few hours in the school kitchen, but it'll mean I can bake for the students. Isn't that cool?"

"Congratulations, Candy. Good job. I'm so happy for you. But shouldn't a school bake sale have more people to be volunteering?"

"Oh, I know it looks like I'm a one-woman army, but there are more volunteers on the way. Mr. Gael helped out a lot too, didn't you, Mr. Gael?"

She looked over her shoulder. Her stuffed bear didn't reply. He was just sitting there in the corner wearing a chef's hat.

Cora raised an eyebrow and fought to keep her face from crinkling. "I see. What's this all for? I heard something big was happening on campus today but nothing like this?"

"Well, Headmistress Thaddueus was more than welcome back, but there's a lot of work that needs doing before this school can get back on its feet again. There was a lot of corruption going on in the school board and Madame Angelmen was the head of the whole thing. Can you believe it? She put all the members of the board there herself. Bribery and things like that."

"No, I had no idea. Good thing we put an end to all that, huh?"

"Naw, you did. After what Clovis did to Cora on the ship, it opened up the eyes of many people in Domino. These people are not to be trusted and have no place in our government. Clovis was heavily investigated by the Royal Guard and, oof, they found a lot of nasty things on his computer and PDA. Lots of school board members and even Senators were in his pocket. So a purge has gone down. Prince Michael and Zane Truesdale set up a task force specifically to hunt down all the bad eggs in town. A storm is coming, Cora. And we have you to thank for that. Anyways, when it was announced Thaddeus was coming back, all the students in the academy set up a fair to raise money and help her get a good start. The first thing she wants to do is grant scholarships of students in need like me, but sadly with all the corruption going on, a lot of investors pulled out of Rosenkruz. Well, we're hoping this will help bring other potential founders to come our way. Maybe even change the minds of the ones who left. You never know."

"Have you raised much money, Candy?"

"So far I've raised about a thousand gold coins. But it's your Uncle Mokuba's Battle Jam that's drawing the most attention."

"Battle Jam?"

"A friendly series of games taking place in the main arena of the school. You get points based on the conditions you used to win the Duel. At the end of the day, the points are tallied and the one with the most points wins this really big trophy."

"Wow. No doubt Uncle Mokuba wants people to be at their best. The craftier you play the more you earn. And that makes sense. I think I might give it a try."

"Go ahead. I'm sure we'd like to see how you can handle the Blue-Eyes in a regular Duel. But be warned, Cora, if you lose three times, you're out. Three strikes. It costs only five gold coins to enter. Just see M and Nixie over there under the red tent. "

Cora thanked her and then bought a cookie shaped like a Blue-Eyes White Dragon before proceeding to the tent.

"Ah, it's about time she showed up," M said, tapping his pen against the sigh up list. "You wanna try your hand in the Rosenkruz Academy Battle Jam, Cora? It's gonna be the prelude for things to come."

"What's this all about?"

"We want to get Rosenkruz Academy's reputation back to a favorable position, Cora," Nixie said, petting a white kitten with a pink tail and long ears colored baby blue at the tips, and its eyes were glowing spring green. The little creature was purring with each stroke Nixie gave it as it was laying on her lap. "Oh, this is Dugares, my new kitten. M got him for me for my birthday today. Isn't he cute? He's a Modevian Droenix. They're impossible to find."

"No for me, baby. Only the best for you." He kissed her.

Cora pet the little kitten on the head. He meowed and nuzzled her palm with a big smile on his face. "He's so cute. And happy birthday, Nixie! Congratulations. How old?"

"Twenty-two," Nixie replied. "Oh, get this, Cora. After this event, there's a big tournament happening that will help us shed some light back in this school's image. The Tri-Millennium Cup! Three of the best Dueling Prep Schools in Eredas are going to be coming here to take us on and see which one is the best! There's already a big competition to see who will have the honor of taking part in the games. Kasumi, Headmistress Thaddeus, and Pharmellis Ironjoy — your new school president by the way — came up with the idea not long after Madame Angel-Bitch was arrested. We didn't think many would participate but, damn, were we wrong."

"It's amazing!" Nixie said. "Forty of the best schools in the kingdom signed up and started duking it out right now as we speak."

"Well, that's impressive. But I don't think I'm going to get involved in such a thing. The Battle Jam will have to do."

"You're not still thinking about finding this 'Star Queen' are you, Cora?" M asked. "That's that weirdo, Kaito's, job."

"Forget it, Cora," said Nixie. "You said so yourself, she's on Earth. There's no way you're getting there unless you're Yugi Muto or the High King of Termnnia."

"I have to think of something," Cora said crossing her arms. "We need her."

"Whatever for?" M asked. "You girls kicked some serious ass that night Clovis went nuts. Those Yeyu freaks should think twice before messing around here again."

"But they'll be back, M. They're persistent."

"And you ladies are dangerous, strong, and skilled. Not to mention drop-dead sexy."

Nixie merely glared at him from the corner of her eye. "I don't recall my sexiness shattering the Banner of Yeyu, M."

"Ah, you girls don't give yourselves enough credit. You've got beauty that kills and bodies that can boil water."

"Pfft, this guy," Cora said with a shake of her head.

"There you go, there you go, feeding that big ego of yours," Nixie said, punching him on the arm. "You're not that big of a charmer, sir."

"Hey, babe, I call it like it is. I've got the coolest friends around and nothing in this town has a chance so long as they're together. Well, enough of this. What do you say, Cora? You in?"

"I'll give it a shot." Cora signed her name and then proceeded into the school, taking a train to the underwater district where the Academy Battle Jam was taking place. The Tri-Millennium Tournament was on her mind the entire ride. What an interesting concept and it sounded like a very exciting competition. Too bad the Church of Green Fire was her primary focus. If the thought of those priests sitting in their towers coming up with a new monstrosity to use against Duelists all over the city hadn't plagued her mind, she would have been a tad more excited about joining it and representing her school in the games.

When the train dropped off the passengers, Cora proceeded to the Heart-Crown Arena. She had never seen it before in her life, but a feeling of familiarity filled her. A feeling of nostalgia and excitement. She smiled and rubbed her chest. Those were Cora's feelings. No doubt she was content with being back here. As soon as Cora entered the arena, there was already a Duel going on.

She recognized one of them quickly. Jericho. She must have visited an arcane barber; for her hair was longer and swept to the left where it fell down past her shoulder and brushed against her hip. And the other Duelist was none other than…

"Jack Atlas!" Cora almost screeched. "What's he doing here?"

**LP 8000**

"I heard you've improved since coming here!" said Jack.

Jericho smiled. "I sure have, Jack. I learned from the best. And now I think I'm ready to dethrone you."

"Let's see if you can back up that mouth of yours. I use the spell, Resonator Call! And with it, I will bring out Crimson Resonator to the field!"

He summoned a little fiend in black robes carrying a tuning fork and a staff made of red glass. Cheers filled the stadium, for the Resonator monsters always meant Jack's ace wasn't too far off.

"Now, I summon Witch of the Black Forest in attack mode! She may not look like much, but trust me. Once she's in the Graveyard, it usually spells doom for my opponents, thanks to a new combo I picked up. I Tune Witch of the Black Forest with Crimson Resonator to Synchro Summon, Red Rising Dragon!"

Witch of the Black Forest and Crimson Resonator were both engulfed in flames. From them emerged a dragon that looked like he was made of fire. The only thing solid about the beast was the rows of red armored abs on his chest.

**ATK/2100 DEF/1600**

Jericho stared up at the beast and laughed. "So, that's the legendary red dragon I've been hearing about, eh? I'm not impressed."

"This is not him, Jericho," said Jack. "Not yet anyway. All kings have a beginning and this fiery beast marks the beginning of a painful, fiery doom for your Different Dimension Daemons! First, I activate the effect of Witch of the Black Forest. When she's sent to the grave, I can add a monster to my hand. Now, it's time for the effect of my Red Rising Dragon. He allows me to bring back a Resonator monster. So welcome back Crimson Resonator."

"Another tuning?" Jericho said nervously. "I should have known."

"Yes, now Crimson Resonator's effect activates, allowing me to summon two Resonator monsters from my deck. Now the fun begins. I tune Red Rising Dragon with two of my Resonator monsters to create Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Rising Abyss!"

Red Rising Dragon's flames went out and he started to glow in a ferocious black monstrosity with red patterns. He had armor on his chest and abdomen that resembled a frightful face with burning yellow eyes; and he had ax blades on the back of his arms.

**ATK/3200 DEF/2500**

"Wow!" Jericho said. "He's so much bigger now."

"And he'll only keep growing," Jack boasted. "For my next move, I summon Wandering King Wildwind! Then I tune him with Crimson Resonator to bring back a friend who just hates saying goodbye. Red Rising Dragon!"

The fiery dragon burst out of the ground and spread its wings. Jericho started sweating. Those dragons were indeed hot. It felt like she was standing in front of a wildfire. Jack used Red Rising Dragon's effect to bring back Crimson Resonator again, and he Tuned them to make Void Ogre Dragon.

**ATK/3000 DEF/3000**

"Go, Synkron Resonator!" Jack called, summoning another Resonator, which he Tuned with Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss to make Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Bane. The dragon became a bit more humanoid in appearance and the blades on the back of his arms grew longer, his natural armor more decorative.

**ATK/3500 DEF/3000**

My Synkron Resonator's effect activates, allowing me to add Creation Resonator to my hand, which I will now summon. Then, I use the effect of Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Bane to resurrect Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Burning Abyss!"

"Next, I activate Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three cards and discarding two as payment. Hmm. Not bad. I set these two cards face-down. That ends my turn. All right, Jericho. Show me what you have learned since our last Duel."

"You'll regret that, Jack. Draw! I get rid of your dragons with this spell card! I activate —"

"—My dragons aren't going anywhere, Jerry. Sorry to disappoint you. I use Void Ogre Dragon's special ability. Your spell is canceled out!."

Void Ogre Dragon's body started eradiating a hot black and red aura, which drained the magic of Jericho's card and negating it.

"Whatever. I use my next spell. Dark Contract with the Gate! I add a monster to my hand. Next, I add D/D/D Oblivion King Abyss Ragnarok to the Pendulum Scales!"

The shadowy ruler stood high above Jericho and growled adding 5 to the scales.

"Now, I use the effect of my D/D Swirl Slime. I send him and this next D/D monster in my hand to Fusion Summon D/D/D Flame King Ghengis!"

The crowd ooohed when Jericho easily summoned her flaming warrior to the field. The stands flashed as thousands of cameras snapped photos of the moment. Flame King Ghengis swung his blazing sword around to try and intimidate Jericho's opponent and his monsters.

**ATK/2000 DEF/1500**

"D/D Swirl Slimes effect activates, allowing me to special summon D/D Lamia!"

"Now, I Tune my monsters to Synchro Summon D/D/D Gust King Alexander!"

A fierce green-colored wind started to blow around the arena. The wind formed a tornado and from it emerged a giant armored in white and wore a green cape that looked like wind made into cloth.

"Now, D/D/D Oblivion King Abyss Ragnarok's effect activates, allowing me to bring D/D/D Flame King Ghengis from the graveyard."

Jericho's Life Points went down by 1000 as payment to keep these strange kings out. But that was a small price to pay compared to the power they would give her in this Duel. Hopefully, Jack's monsters wouldn't have any more surprises.

Sadly, they did. As soon as she tried to use Gust King's Alexander's special ability, Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Burning Abyss's effect activated, negating the effect. Jericho felt her toes curling up in frustration. She knew that was going to be too much to hope for. She brought back Lamia from the Graveyard, sacrificing her Contract spell. Just when Ghengis would activate his special skill, Jack activated a trap called Infinite Impermanence.

"Got anything more you wish to throw at me, Jerry? You're making this too easy."

"We'll see about that. When I show you the dragon I got from the Legendary Duelist Pack I opened the other day. I Tune Lamia and Ghengis to create Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon!"

The crowd soon cheered for Jericho when the shiny, white dragon flew out of a portal that opened behind Jericho. It soared around the area, its body screaming as if it were a jet engine.

**Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon**

**ATK/3000 DEF/2500**

Cora was surprised to see that creature in Jericho's deck. It was a form of one of The Four Dimensional Dragons, who hailed from a world that was split into four dimensions. Their tale was so legendary, so tragic, and so beloved, that they were made into cards so everyone could enjoy them. Time to see if Jericho had what it took to wield one.

She activated the effect of a monster called D/D Necro Slime in her Graveyard, which allowed her to perform a Fusion Summon banishing it and the material required to summon the Fusion Monster. And she chose D/D/D Flame High King Ghengis (ATK/2800 DEF/2400).

"I've got what I need now, Jack!" shouted Jericho. "First, I activate Dark Contract with the Swamp King. Now, I fuse together High King Ghengis and Flame King Ghengis to summon D/D/D Wave Oblivion King Ceasar Ragnarok!"

Jack gritted his teeth together, waiting with great anticipation to see what it was that was coming his way. Whatever it was, it was going to be big — very big. When the monsters jumped into the vortex, their bodies turned to liquid and then swirled together. Finally, a hulking behemoth colored purple with glowing orange patterns stomped out of the vortex. He growled angrily, thirsty to do battler. He had spikes and horns that were also festooned with glowing orange lines and cables whipped around from his back and his torn cape fluttered in the gale created from the vortex. He flexed his massive muscles and roared to announce his arrival.

**D/D/D Wave Oblivion King Ceasar Ragnarok**

**ATK/3200 DEF/3000**

"Now it's time, Jack. I attack your Burning Abyss with Oblivion King Ceasar Ragnarok! And before you start yapping, yes, I know their attack points are the same. But not for long. I use the effect of Oblivion King Ceasar Ragnarok. Now, I send my Dark Contract card back to my hand and he'll take one of your monsters and equips himself with it. I choose your Void Ogre Dragon."

"Oh no!"

The Oblivion King held out his massive hand and hypnotized Void Ogre Dragon, commanding him to come towards him. The dragon flew up and landed on his arm, acting like a parrot.

"And now, Jack, D/D/D Wave Oblivion King's attack will increase equal to the original attack points of your dragon."

**ATK 3200 → 6200**

"Wow!" Cora gasped. "Sixty-two hundred attack points."

"You really have learned a lot since last time, eh?" said Jack.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Jericho declared proudly. "I continue my attack! Oblivion King will destroy your Archfiend Bane!"

Oblivion King thumped his chest and tackled Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Bane. Bane blocked his fists with the blades on his forearms, but they shattered, unable to withstand the strength of such a powerful monster. Oblivion King then used the cables on his body to stick on the arms and legs of Bane and then zapped him with dark energy until he exploded.

**Jack - 6650 LP**

"Okay, Jack! Now I attack your Abyss with Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon. And when he attacks a Level 5 or higher monster, Crystal Wing gains attack equal to that monster's attack points."

"What?! It can't be!"

**ATK/3000 → 6200**

Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon sliced off the other dragon's head clean off with its razor-sharp wings. Abyss's body exploded, dealing 1500 points of damage to Jack. He held his arm over his head to shield his face from the blast and the debris sprinkling the air.

"Ha. I end my turn, Jack. Your move."

**Jack - 5150 LP**

**Jericho - 8000 LP**

"Don't go easing up just yet, Jericho. You've learned a few fancy moves and got yourself acquainted with the new Master Rules, but that sadly won't be enough to defeat me. You always made a habit of getting ahead of yourself. Sad to see your attitude hasn't changed at all. I thought I taught you better than that. I draw!"

"Don't talk down on me, Jack!" Jericho snapped. "You've only got one card in your hand and a Resonator on your field. What can you possibly do?"

"Didn't I once tell you that one card can make all the difference? I activate my face-down card, Monster Reborn! Return to the field, Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Burning Abyss! From my Graveyard, I activate the effect of Wildking. I Banish him to add a Resonator monster to my hand. And here he is now. Red Resonator, and with his effect, I summon Red Sprinter!"

He used them to Synchro Summon another Red Rising Dragon, who then brought back Red Resonator. And when it returned, it increased Jack's Life Points by Oblivion King's attack points.

**Jack - 11350 LP**

And then, Jack used his Red Rising Dragon and Red Resonator to Synchro Summon Scarlet Red Dragon Archfiend.

A geyser of magma shot out of the ground and out of the crater flew a tall, humanoid dragon whose body was as black as obsidian and marked with orange bandings on the shoulder and the legs. His tail whipped around in the air. There were two rows of blades near the base of it, gleaming red from being in the magma for so long. He raised his fist, showing off a shiny gauntlet with glowing orange accents.

**ATK/3000 DEF/2500**

"Now, I activate my dragon's effect. Once per turn, I can destroy monsters with attack points lower than his and inflict 500 points of damage to your Life Points."

Suddenly, Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon flew towards Scarlet Red Dragon Archfiend and started strangling him.

Jericho sneered and blew the Scarlet a kiss out of defiance. "Sorry, Jack, but my Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon has something to say about that. When your monster activates its effect, Crystal Wing can negate and destroy it. Not only that, but he also gains your dragon's attack points for the turn."

Suddenly, Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss flew from behind Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon and put him in a Full Nelson submission hold.

Jericho was so shocked that all the air in her lungs blew out with a loud gasp. "What's going on here!? What's he doing to my dragon?"

Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon thrashed around, snarling and spitting as he tried to get away from the other monster's grasp.

"Red Dragon Archfiend Abyss can negate your monster's effects for the turn. Your Crystal Wing is now useless. First, I rid the field of my Sykron Resonator and then your Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon."

Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon struggled to rip itself free, but it was no use. Abyss was too strong. Scarlet Red Dragon Archfiend raised his gauntlet and smashed it into Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon's chest, causing it to shatter like glass. Then, Scarlet flew towards Jericho and burned her with 1000 points of damage.

**Jericho - 7000 LP**

"And now its time to rid the field of your Oblivion King," said Jack. "So I can make way for the REAL king! I use the Red Rising Dragon and Synkron Resonator! This allows me to bring two Synkron Resonators to the field. Now, I Tune my Resonators with Scarlet Red Dragon Archfiend. Come forth Tyrant Red Dragon Archfiend!"

The world seemed to tremble at the mere mention of the beast's name. The sky turned lava red and the clouds became the color of amber. The ground cracked, opening the gateway to the fiery underworld where the monster lurked. It climbed out from the cracks and then spread its fiery wings to take flight and reveal its majestic yet terrifying presence to those in the arena.

**Tyrant Red Dragon Archfiend**

**ATK/3500 DEF/3000**

"Your King stands no chance against mine!" Jack boasted. "There will be no fight between them; for Tyrant Red Dragon Archfiend will clear the board of all you have. But first, thanks to these Resonator Monsters in my grave, I can add two Resonators to my hand. Now, Tyrant Red Dragon Archfiend, destroy the board!"

"Oh, shit!"

With one mighty roar, Tyrant Red Dragon Archfiend wiped out the entire field. Nothing was left and Jericho was wide open for an attack. Tyrant Red Dragon Archfiend summoned a wall of flames from underneath Jericho's feet and burned her for 3500 points of damage.

**Jack - 11350 LP**

**Jericho - 2500 LP**

"Think I'm through yet?" said Jack. Using more effects from the Graveyard, he was able to special summon to Resonator monsters and he used them for one final transformation. The world seemed to have gone dark as Tyrant Red Dragon Archfiend turned into a new beast whose power knew no bounds. The dragon looked like a giant humanoid with a body made of steel and glowing red in certain parts of the arms, legs, tail, and even his wings which were as long as the arena. Flaming orange spikes that looked like magma made into horns protruded in rows on his legs, arms, and shoulders. He had an extra pair of arms and his horns were glowing red. A collar of royal white fur ran around his short neck giving him a very regal appearance.

The girls in love with Jack Atlas cheered and chanted his name when they saw his mighty beast looming over Jericho the way it did. She had no chance now.

**Hot Red Dragon Archfiend King Calamity**

**ATK/4000 DEF/3500**

"I draw," Jericho said weakly. "You may have wiped out my board, but like you said. One card can make all the difference. I use Dark Contract with the Swamp King! I banish two D/D/D monsters in my graveyard to summon D/D/D Super Doom King Purple Armageddon!"

A violet vortex tore open behind Jericho to make way for one of the most unusual beasts. He appeared to be a platform of some sort with a face and was colored gold and white. It had purple dragon wings and its lower body was a long purple dragon.

**D/D/D Super Doom King Purple Armageddon**

**ATK/3500 DEF/3000**

"They're not equal in power, Jack, but that won't matter. Super Doom King will destroy King Calamity and then deal damage to your Life Points equal to half its attack points."

The purple dragon reared up its head and fired a violet energy beam at King Calamity, shattering him like glass upon impact. The beam then hit Jack on the chest.

"Now you're wide open, Jack! I promise you this! All your silly legends die today. I've surpassed you. And today I'll prove it! Super Doom King Purple Armageddon, attack him directly!"

The dragon fired its violet beam again, but just before it could hit Jack, Void Ogre Dragon flew up and took the hit, defending Jack's Life Points.

"When King Calamity is destroyed, I can special summon a DARK dragon-type Synchro monster from the graveyard," Jack said, panting. "And if you think you can surpass me with those moves, you're wrong, girl! You've learned a lot and for that, I can say that I'm proud of you. But you've still got a long way to go. It's been a good Duel, Jericho, but I fear I have to bring things to an end. First, I summon Red Resonator. With his effect, I call upon Red Familiar. I banish the last of my Red Rising Dragons to special summon two Synkron Resonators. Now, I send Red Familiar to the graveyard to special summon Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Bane!"

"Big deal! I took him down once, and I'll do it again. Summon whatever you like, I'll always come up with a way to come back and turn things around!"

"Not this time, you won't. Using my Red Familiar I will Tune Bane's level to just the right number to perform one last Synchro Summon. I use my Resonators and Hot Red Dragon Archfiend Bane to call upon Red Supernova Dragon!"

And that was all she wrote for Jericho. She could only watch as a giant, red meteor crashed through the glass dome of the arena and smashed into the field causing a great wind and creating a cloud of molten debris. From the column of smoke erupted a deep, rumbling growl. The ground shook as the creature took a massive step forward to reveal a red behemoth towering high towards the top of the dome. With one loud roar, it made its presence known and announced that it was the end of the Duel.

**Red Supernova Dragon**

**ATK/4000 DEF/3000**

With all the Resonators in Jack's Graveyard, Red Supernova Dragon's attack could increase by 500 for a grand total of 5500 attack points. He attacked but Jericho only lost 500 Life Points with the effect of her Super Doom King. When Red Supernova Dragon attacked, its attack was reduced back to 4000. And then it was sent to the other side of the Pendulum Scales.

Jericho's next turn came. She drew. She sighed in disappointment and looked at Jack. "I end my turn," she said. "Attack me directly and get it over with."

"Don't be upset, Jericho. It was a good match. Keep working on yourself and you just might have what it takes next time. Red Super Nova Dragon, attack!"

"Whoa! Shit!" M cried, trying to stand on his two feet as he approached the arena with Nixie. "Jack Atlas and Jericho! Damn, I can't believe we missed this. Come on, Nixie, if you hadn't used the bathroom."

"Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go," Nixie said with a shrug.

"Sounds like those two have a history together," Cora said, watching as Jack approached Jericho to have a talk with her. "Anything I need to know?"

"Jack had her arrested a long time ago," M said in a whisper. "She tried to steal Jack's Red Dragon Archfiend when she approached him for an autograph. I don't know why, but he bailed her out of Satelite Prison and gave her a sack of gold to help her begin a new life."

"There's more to it than that," said Nixie. "Jack would only let her out if she beat him in a Duel, which she didn't. Nevertheless, Jack helped her out. He promised if she devoted to becoming a better Duelist, he would pay for her education here. I don't know about the rest of you, but I think his buddy, Yusei, had a helping hand in that aspect. Jack Atlas isn't known for letting people off, especially when it comes to his dragon. You piss him off, you're forever on his shit list. I don't know what gave him that change of heart, but all that matters is Jericho is here and is having a new start on life. Now if only she'd stop picking on poor Candy."

"Speaking of Candy, there she is over there." M pointed to another arena beside one of the waterfall windows that had a grand view of the ocean and the glowing whales, who had come to feast on fish and krill.

She was up against a little boy wearing a red jacket and tan shorts. He had curly red hair and a round nose. He looked like he came from one of the local schools in town. His friends were behind him cheering him on while making fun of the way Candy was dressed. Again, she was clad in a frilly lolita outfit. The mini-skirt she wore barely covered her ruffled undergarments.

"Don't tell me," Cora said. "The bear made her do it?"

"You know what, Coranthia, I just don't care anymore," M said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That girl is nuts."

"You done coddling your teddy bear or are we gonna duel?!" shouted the boy.

"We'll Duel," Candy said, keeping Mr. Gael tucked under her arm. "Sheesh, stop being such a baby."

"Baby?" said the boy. "Girl, I'm Elyas Dundragon. I'm one of the Thirteen Duel Kings of Lord Tully Elementary! Heh. I'm the baby but you're the one holding a teddy bear. Girl, you're like twenty-years-old, what are you doing?"

"He's not just some teddy bear!" Candy declared. "He's my friend. But I'm not going to sit around anymore. Time to show you what I've got. I summon Summoner Monk! Now, I discard a spell to summon Rescue Cat!"

She placed the card on her Duel Disk and summoned a white kitten with a hard hat on its head and a silver whistle around its neck. Elyas and his friends pointed and laughed.

"Oooo, I'm so scared! Look at the teeth on that thing."

"What the hell is this?" Mr. Gael whispered. "Where did you get a card that stupid?"

Candy ignored them all. "I use Rescue Cat's effect, tributing it to call on Mine Mole and Valerifawn, Mystical Beast of the Forest."

Her next two monsters were a mole with a pickax and a little baby deer covered with vegetation.

"What the…" babbled Mr. Gael. "What's going on? Where are the Magician Girls?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Gael. I have a plan. I use Mine Mole and Valerifawn to Synchro Summon, Naturia Beast!"

Her monster was a green tiger with tree stumps for legs. It snarled and stalked back and forth in front of Candy as if trying to defend her.

**ATK/2200 DEF/1700**

"Now, Mine Mole's effect activates! I can draw a card since he was used a Synchro Material for a beast monster. Next, I activate the spell, Märfae Hide-And-Seek! I send three Beast monsters back to my deck and draw a card. I end my turn. Oh, and now that it's my end phase, I can summon Märfae Fennie in defense mode!"

She summoned a little fox that looked like it had come out of a pastel painting for a child's storybook. It was small and cute. There were some who found Candy's monster adorable, but many more laughed at her.

"What is that!?" shouted Mr. Gael.

"It's my new Märfae deck!" Candy said gleefully. "Aren't they cute?"

"Oh, we're gonna get our asses kicked."

"Is that all you got, you big baby?" shouted Elyas. "Ha! I'll show you some real monsters! First, I'll boost your pathetic fox's attack by 1000 so I can special summon Mathmech Addition!"

"Oh! Oh! Now my Hop Ear Squadron can come to the field!" Candy summoned a squad of rabbits whose ears doubled as wings and they wore commando trousers and boots.

"Now, I use Hop Ear and Summoner Monk to Synchro Summon Desert Locusts! Now, I discard a card and then use them and Märfae Fennie to create PSY-Framelord Omega!"

**ATK/2800 DEF/2200**

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" said Mr. Gael.

"Now I banish it and you banish a card from your hand face-up."

"What? What would you do that for?" Mr. Gael moaned.

Elyas laughed. "All that just to discard a card from my hand? I've never seen a deck so useless. What a piece of crap. From my graveyard I bring back Mathmech Sigma! Now, I Overlay them to Xyz Summon, Primathmech Alembertian!"

A black and gold robot jumped out of the Overlay Network and smashed into the ground beside Elyas. It wielded a double-bladed staff which is spun around as a form of intimidation.

**ATK/2200 DEF/0**

"And here comes the fun part, sweetheart. I remove two Xyz Materials from Alembertian and add a Mathmech to my hand. Here comes Mathmech Subtraction! And he'll make your Naturia Beast monster lose 1000 attack points so I can special summon him! Now, I use Alembertian's special ability to tribute Subtraction for Mathmech Nabla! You keeping up with me, precious? Or is this too hard for you?"

"Just go!" Candy said, hugging her bear for comfort.

"Just what I thought. You, college kids, are supposed to be better than us. Ha! What a joke. I switch Nabla out for Mathmech Division! And I'll use his effect. Alembertian, it's been real, but it's time for you to tap out. To take his place will be Mathmech Sigma, who will then let me summon, Subtraction! The pieces are in play and now it's time for the adult to sit down and learn from the kid, eh? I use my monsters to Synchro Summon, Geomathmech Final Sigma!"

Now he summoned a white and red robotic warrior with a red cape and a blazing sword.

**ATK/3000 DEF/0**

"And next I'll use Mathmech Division's effect to cut your already weakened Naturia Beast's attack in half. Get ready for this, Candy! When he's in the Extra Monster Zone, the damage you take from him becomes doubled! Go, Geomathmech Final Sigma! Get rid of her monster!"

The robot beeped and then flew toward Natruia Beast, cutting the creature's head off and dealing 4800 points of damage to Candy. She screamed and fell on her back. "Ha! What a waste of my time. Where are the good players I kept hearing about? Where's Cora? Nixie? Princess Kasumi? Where are they at? Ah, whatever. This is still a pretty good warm-up before I hunt down some better game. I set a card face-down and end my turn."

**Elyas - 8000 LP**

**Candy - 3200 LP**

"Get up!" shouted Mr. Gael. "Up! Get your ass up! If you're going down, go down as a woman! A tough woman. Don't let this piece of shit and his gizmos keep you down. Come on, Candy! Up! Up! Up!"

Candy stood up, still keeping Mr. Gael safely tucked under her arm. "My turn," she said confidently. "PSY-Frame Omega returns to the field and your card returns to your hand. Next, I use Märfae Hide-And-Seek to —"

"I activate my face-down card. Mathmech Superfactorial, which lets me summon three Mathmechs from my GY. Division, Addition, and Nabla! Now, I Overlay them to create Primathmech Laplacian! Now, I detach two Xyz Materials from him to destroy a card from your and a Spell on your field! Summon all the furballs you want! My machines are going to skin them alive!"

"We'll just see about that. I draw a card thanks to my spell. And your Division monster's effect has to target something, you know."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry, Laplacian."

"Now with that mess taken care of, I summon Summoner Monk and use his effect, switching him to defense mode to discard a spell and summon Rescue Cat. Now, I tribute Rescue Cat to special summon Mine Mole and Sunlight Unicorn! Now, I use Master Monk and Sunlight Unicorn to Link Summon Cryston Needlefiber (Hate his new name). With Needlefiber's effect, I special summon Valerifawn. Now for one last Link Summon. The conditions are right for one, after all. I use my three monsters to Link Summon Borrelsword Dragon!"

The cybernetic dragon digitized over the field and flew in circles around Candy.

**ATK/3000**

**LINK -4**

Borrelsword attacked, the blades on the side of its head formed together. He then slashed Geomathmech, who used his flaming sword to block the attack. He held his ground, trying to keep Borrelsword Dragon from slashing him. Sparks flew off their blades and the onlookers cheered as the two monsters struggled to maintain supremacy.

"They're going to destroy each other!" cried Elyas. "Their attack points are the same."

"Then, in that case, I'm going to use Borrelsword Dragon's effect. It gains attack points equal to half of your monsters attack points. Also, your monster's attack points get cut in half."

"WHAT!"

**Borrelsword Dragon ATK/3000 (→ 4500)**

**Geomathmech Final Stigma ATK/3000 ( ←1500)**

Borresword Dragon opened its mouth and a gun barrel extended from inside of it. The cylindrical bullet chamber on its body spun and the dragon fired a blue projectile that blasted a hole in Geomathmech's chest. The explosion shook the stadium and everyone yelled, trying to keep to their seats.

Elyas lost 1500 Life Points, but Borrelsword Dragon could make a second attack. It then destroyed the weakened Laplacian monster and dealt 3500 points of damage to the boy, reducing him to a mere 3000 Life Points.

"Now I end my turn by summoning Märfae Puppy," Candy said, summoning another of her Märfae monsters. It was a strange combination of monsters anyone had ever seen. Cute little forest creatures like the Märfae standing side-by-side with a monstrosity like Borrelsword Dragon. Candy was a puppy in the eyes of many, but bother puppies enough and even they can bite back.

The boy eventually lost and Candy turned to look at the crowd and did curtsey. Just as Cora was going to approach her, she heard a commotion from behind.

"Didn't I tell you not to bother me again," Nixie said to a young man whose face caused a wave of memories to flash through Cora's mind. A name popped up. Rex Raptor.

"You owe me, Nixie!" shouted Rex. "This time I'll stomp ya!"

"My dude, come on," said M. "Find another opponent to play. Nixie's the one who does the stomping around here. So, please, but your beef with my girl behind you, relax, and have some fun, aight?"

"Forget it, M. Rex is the kind of guy who thinks no means yes. All right, Rex. I'll take you on."

She led him to an arena that was recently vacated.

**LP 8000**

"This is going to be quick, I promise you that."

"You bet it is. I special Summon Gilasaurus! Then I use Big Evolution Pill to sacrifice it and summon Dark Tyranno in attack mode!"

**ATK/2600 DEF/1800**

"I set a card face-down and end my turn. Hmm, by that look on your face, I take it you dug this guy up a while back, huh?"

"Yup, one of my favorite discoveries," Nixie said. "He's such a beautiful specimen. Such a shame he's on your side. Oh, well. I summon Archaeonys! Now, I use the spell New Ultra Evolution. I sacrifice a Winged Beast monster and summon a Dinosaur from my hand. Ultimate Tyranno, you're up!"

"Sorry, but he's not going to make an appearance today, Nixie!" Rex laughed. "I activate Solemn Judgement. By paying half my Life Points, your monster's summoning is negated and it's destroyed."

Nixie wrinkled her nose. "Well, that kinda ruins my day. I end my turn."

"And your Life Points are wide open for a direct attack, Nixie! Dark Tyranno attack!"

The dinosaur roared in response and slashed Nixie with its tail, reducing her Life Points to** 5400.**

She merely brushed herself off and sighed. "Not to worry. Last summer I made another cool discovery that Pegasus happily made into a card. Why don't I introduce you to my latest discovery, Rex? First, I play the spell Miracle Jurassic Nest. This lets me summon four Miracle Egg Tokens to the field!"

And so four eggs formed in a neat row in front of Nixie. One was colored red, another yellow. The third was blue and the last was purple. (ATK/0 DEF/2100 LV 2)

"Don't think your little eggs will save you from my monster, Nixie. Dark Tyranno can attack you directly if you have nothing but defense position monsters out. Give it up!"

"Rex, didn't House Delgado teach you anything when you served as their Bannerman? No? Geez, no wonder you're no longer a revered knight. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. I activate Pot of Greed and...ah, you know. Two cards, blah, blah, blah. Now, I summon Jurrac Aelo in attack mode. Now I Tune him and my Miracle Egg Tokens! Synchro Summon! Level 9! Ravenous Crocosaur Archetis!"

"What's that?" Rex cried out.

The area around Nixie started to ripple around like water. Something growled from the depths, making Rex shiver with fear. Then, from behind Nixie emerged a gargantuan-sized leviathan from the dawn of time. He was over fifty meters long and was covered with natural body armor. Black spikes protruded from its head down to its back and even from its four fins, making them look like claws.

"Isn't she beautiful, Rex?" Nixie boasted as the prehistoric aquatic beast hovered over her.

"Ha! So much for your Crocosaur, Nixie. It only has 1000 attack points."

"Sure, but she comes equipped with all kinds of sweet goodies designed to give you a bad day. She can travel speeds of over seventy miles per hour, can smell prey from miles away, and has thick body armor that no sword can penetrate. She also has hi-powered binocular and thermal-vision to help her see in the dark and detect things from long distances. Crocosaurs Archetis was an apex predator of the seas, unlike anything the world has ever seen. Oh, but that's just how she is in the wild. In Duel Monsters, she's just as deadly. Don't let her attack points fool you, Rex. It's just a limitation to make sure she isn't broken when she's played. See, for every card in my hand, she gains 500 attack and defense points."

"But you only have three cards, Nixie. That will raise your Crocosaur's attack to 2500. My Dark Tyranno is still stronger than your beast."

"Were you not listening, Rex. Archetis has special abilities. The cards in my hand, that's just one of them. Here's another. When she's Synchro Summoned, I can draw cards equal to the amount of Non-Tuner monsters I used. That was four monsters for four cards, meaning I now have seven cards in my hand, increasing her attack to 3500. But, I'm not going to attack you with her. No, no. I'm going to use one last effect. I discard to cards from my hand to destroy a card on your field!"

Archetis dove underwater and vanished. Suddenly, the beast appeared behind Dark Tyranno. The Ravenous Crocosaur picked the dinosaur up by the tail with the greatest of ease and dragged him under to his death.

"No!" Rex shouted. "My Dark Tyranno!"

"And I'm not through, Rex. I use Monster Reborn to bring back Ultimate Tyranno. Sorry, Rex, but this is it. I attack you directly with my monsters!"

Cora closed her eyes to avoid looking at the thrashing Rex received. "Who is she to him?"

M chuckled. "Old girlfriend."

Cora heard someone coming from behind, but she was so focused on what was happening to Rex that she didn't turn to see who it was.

"Excuse me," the man had a deep voice. "Are you Seto Kaiba's daughter?"

Cora turned around. She felt her body stiffen up when she saw the King of Games looking back at her. "I...I am. You..Y-y-you're..."

"That's right," Yugi said with a smile. "I'm looking for an opponent to play against in the event today. Would you care to Duel me?"

M grabbed Cora by the shoulders and shook her. "Say yes! Say yes, damn it! I've gotta see this!"

"How could I say no?" Cora replied. "I'd be honored to Duel against you."

"Well, then Cora, let's get started. It's time to duel!"

The King of Games? In a Duel with me?

Cora still found it quite hard to fathom what was happening. The champion of the Duelist Kingdom and Battle City Tournament and The Voice of the High King. He wanted...to play with her. Of course, she was more than happy to oblige. But...once she saw him climbing up those steps on the other end of the arena to face her, she began to grow nervous. Very...very nervous. This was the man who had beaten her father. Not once, not twice. But many times. No matter what Seto did, no matter what he put into his deck (Even Obelisk the Tormentor during the strange events of the Battle City Tournament), Yugi Muto always came out on top. It was as if the Divines themselves prohibited Kaiba from beating him. Then again, no one, save for a few people, could ever best the legendary Yugi Muto in the game of Duel Monsters.

"Is something wrong, Cora?" Yami Yugi asked.

"No. Nothing's wrong. But, Master Yugi, if I may? Why did you come all the way out here just to play me?"

**LP 8000**

Yami set his cards down and smiled. "I've heard so much about you."

"Huh?" Cora couldn't think. Seeing Yami stand there in front of her was awe-inspiring. She was at a loss for words.

"Shall we schedule our match for another time, young one?" Yami asked.

Cora stopped and looked around. Everyone was staring at her with worried looks. "Oh, uh, no. I...uh…let's duel!"

"Yes. Let's. I draw!" Yami had such a very big grin on his face. The game didn't even start and already he looked like he was enjoying himself. "Hmm, not bad. All right, Cora, here we go! I summon Beta the Electromagnet Warrior in attack mode!"

He set the card on his Duel Disk, which summoned the pinkish robotic creature, which had magnets crowning its head and four on each hand to form claws.

**ATK/1500 DEF/1500**

"Beta the Electromagnet Warrior allows me to add Alpha the Electromagnet Warrior to my hand. Then, I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

"It's a real honor facing you, Master. It's my turn! I activate the field spell, Mausoleum of White!"

Behind Cora the phantasmagoric image of a gleaming temple of white limestone manifested itself. The temple was tall and festooned with statues of Blue-Eyes White Dragons.

"Next, I will summon Master with Eyes of Blue! Next, I activate Successor Soul! This card allows me to tribute an effect monster I control with an effect monster you control. Then, I can summon a level seven or higher monster from my hand. Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Yami chuckled. "Sorry, Cora, but I will activate Beta the Electromagnet Warrior's effect. I will sacrifice him to summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in defense mode. With your second tribute gone, your card is negated."

"Well, I'm not done yet, Master Yugi. Mausoleum of White allows me an additional summon so long as it's a low-level Tuner of the Light attribute. I summon Protector with Eyes of Blue!"

A vortex of light, ringing heavenly with soothing chiming sounds formed in front of Cora, and from it rose up a fair-skinned blue-haired warrior wearing armor and wielding a sword fashioned in the likeness of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Protector with Eyes of Blue allows me to summon another Tuner from my hand. I summon, The White Stone of Legend in defense mode!"

"Now, I will use Protector with Eyes of Blue's effect and tribute him to summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my hand."

"Ah, good," Yami said.

The Protector held up his sword and muttered an ancient chant. He vanished and then a Blue-Eyes White Dragon took her place. The great and beautiful beast flew out of a bigger vortex and then circled over the field, calling out to Yami as though it were familiar with him. It then landed on the ground beside the White Stone of Legend."

"Go, Blue-Eyes! Attack his Electromagnetic Warrior! White Lightning!"

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon turned his head and opened his mouth, then he released his attack. The beam of white zoomed towards Beta, but it was dispersed by a powerful magic force. The next thing Cora knew, her dragon was bound by a yellow hexagram and couldn't move.

"What's going on? What have you done to my dragon?"

"Good, good!" Yami said again. "Well, done! But your dragon will not get the best of my Electromagnet Warrior this turn, little one. I activated my trap card, Spellbinding Circle. Now your dragon cannot attack." He nodded. "You have much to learn, but I see you are quite skilled. Your father has taught you much, I wager."

"I taught myself, Master," said Cora. "Seto...Seto is a tough guy to make proud."

"He has a knack for ignoring destiny," Yami responded with a chuckle. "Is there anything else you wish to do this turn?"

"I have no cards in my hand, so no. It's your move."

"Very well. I draw! Now I summon Alpha the Electromagnet Warrior in attack mode!"

"Another one of those, huh?" Cora said.

"That's right. And when Alpha the Electromagnet Warrior is summoned, I can add a Level 8 "Magna Warrior card to my hand. Now, I banish Alpha from my field, Beta from my graveyard, and Gamma the Electromagnet Warrior from my hand to summon the mighty Berserkion the Electromagna Warrior!"

The smaller Electromagnet Warriors fused together. First, they disassembled, and then their parts formed into a hulking metal beast with a long sword with a thick magnet near the tip.

**ATK/3000 DEF/2800**

"Oh boy…" Cora groaned silently. "That is one big-ass magnet warrior!"

"Next," Yami continued. "I activate my face-down card, Polymerization, which will fuse Berserkion with Valkyrion the Magna Warrior from my hand." Valkyrion the Magna Warrior appeared beside Berserkion. They jumped into the air and their bodies disassembled. "Prepare to feel a force like no other, Cora. For my Magna Warriors will combine to become the mighty, Imperion Magnum the Superconductive Battlebot!"

The giant centaur-like mech reared up on its hind legs and waved its wide sword around, creating strong gusts as a display of intimidation.

**ATK/4000 DEF/4000**

"Uh...I stand corrected. THAT is one big ass magnet warrior!"

Nixie whistled. "Look at the size of that thing."

"Meh, mine's bigger," M said, to which Nixie punched him in the shoulder and told him to shut up. "Damn, girl! Ow! Ow!"

"And I've only just begun, Coranthia, for I now sacrifice Beta the Magnet Warrior to summon Curse of Dragonfire."

Beta vanished into a cloud of flames, which then zoomed into the air and formed into a physical being. The creature resembled Curse of Dragon, but its body was colored in a blazing crimson and it had a crown of spikes on its tail.

**ATK/2000 DEF/1500**

"My dragon's ability activates! When Curse of Dragonfire is summoned, it can destroy a field spell card you control. Your Mausoleum of the Emperor is destroyed!"

Curse of Dragonfire released a swirling inferno from its mouth that struck Cora's mausoleum with devastating impact. The statues started to melt from the immense heat and then the structure collapsed, clouding Cora in dust and flaming debris. Cora's hair whipped over her shoulder and her jacket flapped around as if trying to cling on Cora's body for dear life.

"Yugi Muto…" Candy said with a whisper. "He's amazing!"

"Yeah, the greatest Duelist of all time," Mr. Gael said. "Watch and learn, toots. The master is at work. Hopefully, that small brain of yers can learn something."

"And now, Curse of Dragonfire will attack your White Stone of Legend!"

The dragon screeched and burned the white stone to cinders.

Cora waited for the flames to settle before calling out her card's effect. "When my White Stone of Legend is destroyed, I can add a Blue-Eyes to my hand from my deck."

"Sorry, Cora, but Imperion Magnum will prevent that from happening. Once per turn, I can negate the effect of your monsters and destroy it. Now, Imperion Magnum, attack Coranthia's Life Points directly!"

The laser cannon mounted on Imperion Magnum's left shoulder whirred to life and then charged up with a deafening hum. Cora tightened every muscle on her body, preparing for the impact that was about to strike her. The cannon fired. BOOM! It struck Cora, knocking her off her feet.

**Cora - 4000 LP**

**Yugi - 8000 LP**

"That ends my turn. You have no cards in your hand. If you don't draw what you need, then I win."

"Why to put the pressure on me, Master."

"Do you believe in your deck, Cora?"

"Believe? You mean the Heart of the Cards?"

"Yes. I know you understand what that means. I've read much about your dueling. No matter the odds, you always seemed to prevail over her opponents. Not just because you are a skilled duelist, like your father, but because you put your heart and soul into her deck. You trusted your cards to guide you to victory. Or am I wrong? Are you like your father, believing that cards are power?"

"I...I don't know. I have a few things that could probably turn things around but...the odds of me drawing them are just...too low. "

"Come now, child. Believe in your deck. If you do this, the deck will never be stacked against you. Draw, but put all your mind and all your soul into it."

Cora placed her fingertips on the top of the deck and drew. "Oh! I activate Pot of Extravagance. I banish six cards from my Extra Deck and draw two cards." She added the cards to her hand and sighed. "I...I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"You don't believe in the Heart of the Cards, do you Cora?"

"I guess...I guess my deck doesn't trust me as well as I thought it did. As I said. I end my turn."

"Very well. I draw! Now, Imperion Magnum, attack and finish Cora with…."

"I activate my trap. Drowning Mirror Force! Now, your attack position monsters will be…"

"Have you forgotten about Imperion Magnum's effect?"

"But you said it will stop my Stone's effect. It was a monster card!"

"I said card effects. Meaning your spell, traps, and monster effects. Your Drowning Mirror Force is no more!"

The barrier shattered. Cora was wide open.

"Aw, shit!" M cried. "She didn't even get to play anything!"

"Poor Cora," said Nixie.

Suddenly, Cora smiled. "I was hoping you would do that, Master."

"What?"

"I have only one card in my hand and no cards on the field. The conditions are set for me to activate this card. Goddess of Sweet Revenge."

A beautiful sorceress formed in the air in front of Cora. She was clad in a shoulderless green shirt and a pink skirt. She wielded a golden staff with a beautiful, wide, headpiece on the top. Her long green hair swirled behind her like a cape of silk.

Yami smiled and then let out a soft laugh.

"I take it you know what she does," said Cora. "When I send her to the graveyard and now both your monsters are destroyed!"

Goddess of Sweet Revenge's staff floated out of her hands and then stood in front of her. She held up her palm and then the staff started to spin. It spun faster and faster and faster until it let out a whirling metallic hum. The staff created an arcane circle that zapped both of Yami's monsters and destroyed them. When the deed was done, Goddess of Sweet Revenge turned around and bowed at Cora. Cora bowed back and the goddess disappeared, but her staff kept on spinning.

"So it worked!" Yami cried out loud. "Well done!"

"You were right, Master. My deck came through for me. And you know something else? My Goddess's effect isn't done yet. After your cards are destroyed, I can special summon a monster from my deck. I summon Primal Dragon the Primordial Dragon! When he's summoned, I can banish a monster from my graveyard and add its attack points to both Primal's attack and defense points. I banished Blue-Eyes White Dragon from the game so that means my Primal Dragon's attack and defense increase to five-thousand!"

"Impressive. However, I take no damage when you battle with that dragon. And my Imperion Magnum's effect will activate as well! When he's destroyed by your card effects, I can special summon both Valkyrion the Magna Warrior and Berserkion the Electromagna Warrior to the field. I end my turn. Your move, Coranthia."

Cora looked at her deck. "Heart of the Cards."

It worked before. Try your hand at it again. You might get something good.

Cora closed her eyes. She exhaled slowly and placed her fingertips on the card. "Come on. Trust me."

She drew and held her card up in the air. Even she was fearful of looking at it.

"Well!" shouted M.

"What is it!?" Nixie called out. "Come on, Cora. What did you draw?"

"I sacrifice Primal the Primordial Dragon to summon Ten Thousand Dragon!"

"What!?" Yami shouted. "She succeeded!"

The Primordial Dragon vanished into a cloud of blue mist which started turning blue as it increased in size. Ten Thousand Dragon formed over the field and spread its massive wings while letting out a powerful roar that sounded like ten thousand dragons roaring in unison.

**ATK/10,000 DEF/10,000**

"This card can only be summoned when I have monsters whose combined attack and defense points are equal to ten thousand or more. Primal had the right conditions to allow this to happen. Now, I'll attack your Berserkion with my dragon!"

Ten Thousand Dragon unleashed a bright golden beam of light from its mouth and atomized the Electromagna Warrior.

Cora looked through the smoke and saw something odd. The Life Point meter didn't go down and Yami was still standing on his own two feet. "What happened? You took no damage!"

Oooooo!

She looked around. A tiny furry creature was hovering in the air above him.

"When your monster attacked, I discarded Kuriboh from my hand," said Yami. "It protected me from any damage done from the battle involving your monster. My Life Points are safe."

Ooooo! Kuriboh hooted again and vanished.

"Safe? No, they're far from safe."

"What do you mean?"

"Primal the Primordial Dragon still has one last effect. If it was used as a tribute, I can banish it from the graveyard, and then a monster of my choice can attack again."

"Oh no!"

"Ten Thousand Dragon! Attack Valkyrion the Magna Warrior!"

Yami was knocked off his feet by the powerful blast that followed after Valkyrion was struck by the beam. His Life Points climbed all the way down to 1500. Now Cora was in the lead.

**Yami Yugi - LP 1500**

**Cora - LP 4000**

"That ends my turn. Now the tables have turned master."

"Have they?" Yami asked. He picked himself up and dusted the dirt off his pants. "I draw! You played valiantly, Cora. But now it's time to end this."

Cora couldn't help but smile. She looked down, sighed, and brushed her hair over her shoulder with her fingertips. "I should have known it wouldn't have been that easy."

"You're a good Duelist, Cora. But it seems you and your deck still have some bonding to do. Let me show you what happens when you put all your faith in your cards. From my hand, I activate the effect of Magicians' Souls! I send Dark Magician to the Graveyard, then I discard Magicians' Souls, which allows me to resurrect my ever-faithful companion. Dark Magician!"

The entire arena erupted into cheers as the legendary ace of Yugi Muto's deck appeared onto the field. He spun his staff and posed dramatically as his ATK/DEF stats displayed beside him..

"From my hand," Yami continued. "I activate the spell, The Eye of Timaeus!"

"Timaeus," Cora said with a sigh. "I've heard tales about that fabled beast. My favorite of Termnnnia's greatest heroes. I had no idea they were printing cards off of his legend."

"They have. Is this a surprise to you? You should know all of Termnnia's greatest heroes get made into cards, Cora."

"Oh, believe me, Master, I know. I've read all about them as I journeyed all over Termnnia looking for my other half. Norman the Conqueror. Gearfried the Iron Knight. Gilford the Lightning. Tyler the Great Warrior. Do you think they'll ever make you into a card one day, Master Yugi?"

Yami laughed. "I don't see that happening anytime soon. But, let's get this duel going."

"Yes. What does the Eye of Timaeus do, Master Yugi?"

"I can select my Dark Magician and use it to Fusion Summon a monster that specifically uses it as a Fusion Material."

Dark Magician's Armor was then consumed by a fiery red aura. She and Cora heard the growl of a fierce monster coming from nowhere. Then, an illusion of a shadowy beast was looming above the Dark Magician with glowing red eyes.

"It's the Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" said M. "The legendary dragon that my people revere so much."

"And it's also the best card of Yugi's best friend, Joey Wheeler," Candy added, shaking from the intensity of the match.

"Yes," said Yami. "Prince Marcel of Akuuda is one of my best students. And a friend." He chuckled. "I've taught him for so many years that he's grown to be like a son to me. He and the royal family made this card as a token of their bond with me. And it also symbolizes the powerful bond I share with my friend, Joey. Behold the great fusion of our hearts as the Dark Magician and the Red-Eyes Black Dragon combine to create Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon!"

**Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon**

**ATK/3000 DEF/2500**

"And now I activate his effect! Once per turn, I can destroy a monster you control and inflict damage to your Life Points equal to its attack points."

Cora closed her eyes as the Dragoon raised his metal wings and took flight. He spun his black and gold stuff, creating a red arcane circle with smaller ones orbiting around it. They each released a red and violet beam that struck Ten Thousand Dragon. After the explosion, the next few moments were nothing but a blur.

"Thank you for the duel, Master," Cora said with a bow. "It's one I will never forget."


	36. Divine Fists of the Souten

**Seto**

* * *

"Stocks are at an all-time high today, sir," said one of the members of the Kaiba Corp board. He let out a chuckle bloated with confidence. "As if that were anything new. While you were uh...ill, we've managed to acquire the companies Dillan Corp and Vortex Gaming LLC. It is a total shame that the leadership of those companies was so...inadequate."

The other board members laughed but Seto was as still as a statue, save for his right hand, which was constantly drawing and redrawing his Blue-Eyes White Dragon from the top of his deck.

"However, their former teams will make a fine addition to our research and development department. One of them, so I've heard, was about to unveil the prototype for his latest invention."

"I already know about it," said Seto. "And if you think it's anything worth getting excited about, then you're a fool. I developed far superior equipment than him when I was still a child. A Duel Disk that can make your monsters talk to you and be friends with you. How inept. Duel Monsters isn't about making friends. Your monsters serve only one purpose. To cut down the other player's monster and carve you a path to victory. Nothing more, nothing less. Speaking of inventions, are the preparations for my virtual adventure game complete."

"Yes, sir, of course, sir. While you were recovering from your illness, we were hard at work on the product. The Virtual Pod is ready for market distribution."

Seto flashed an ultra-rare smile. "You were able to do that in that short amount of time? Impressive. Your stock is rising Mr. Fiorti."

"Thank you, sir."

"I will go down to see it for myself. This meeting is adjourned."

"So soon? But we still have yet to discuss the…"

"There will be time for those things later. I wish to test out my virtual adventure game now. If you'll excuse me."

Seto stood up and left the board room. Mokuba, who was sitting in the corner looking at his phone, got up and followed him out into the green marble halls. "Why do I even have those old cynics?" Seto said. "They tell me everything I already know and plan events that do nothing for the benefit of the company. I wish I could just fire them all."

"You need an executive board," said Mokuba. "Whether you like it or not, you can't solve all the problems around here, bro."

"I'll bet," said Seto. "Has the King gotten my request yet?"

"The Green Fire Act?" Mokuba asked. "Yeah, I got it. And he's taking it into consideration, Seto. The people of Eredas are demanding action against the Covenant. Haha, needless to say, a lot of our citizens are furious about what took place on Zane's ship. Can you believe the audacity of those Yeyunists? I just knew the Covenant of Yeyu was bad news, I just knew it!"

"It doesn't take a forensics team to realize they were radicals who were given too much power under the cover of diversity. Give evil an inch and it will spread like a cancer. Sadly there are too many people in this world who can't think for themselves and flock to the leader with the largest influence or wallet. That's why so many bad people get put into power. I'm not about to let that happen here in this city. I refuse to let it become some giant slum-like Red Diamond City up north. If those religious zealots want to use their phony flaming god to run civilization to the ground, they can. But not here! Safaani help them if they think they can do the same in Domino. And that lunatic using that Banner of Yeyu was just the thing I needed to strip The Church of its power."

"Yeah, nobody messes with us!" Mokuba said. "Man, did you see what that Clovis guy did to Cora. He could have killed her."

"And it also explains why so many people have been disappearing all over Domino. There a radicalized Duelists out there fighting in the name of the Church and they're stealing people's souls away. For what purpose, I'm not so sure. All I know is, something has to be done to stop those maniacs. If the king won't do it, I will. I have a Legendary of White who is ready to bring the Church's foundation to its knees."

"That Kori girl is something, huh?" said Mokuba. "I wonder how many more people like her are out there."

"If there are, we'll find them. We're going to need their power now more than ever. Any word on that Dragon Summoner?"

"Come on, Seto, her name is Avi. And yes, she's in the city right now. It's all over the news." He showed Seto the article on his phone. "Apparently she's here on some very important business. Something that has to do with those new dragons Pegasus added to the game."

"The Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon," Seto said with a grin. "Yes. Apparently it's a worthy rival for my Blue-Eyes."

"I don't know, Seto. There's always the Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

"Please, that wyrm is in the hands of Joey Wheeler. That alone makes me lose all respect for it."

"Harsh," Mokuba said, his face contorted into an awkward expression, cringing from those words. "I don't know if the Walston Family will be happy to hear you say that. Their son is the Lord of the Red."

"I'm sure. Did you call Kemo and tell him we need transportation to Kaiba Land?"

"Oh, I forgot," Mokuba said, whipping out his phone.

"Do it fast, I want to test out the Virtual Pod at once. At last Mokuba, my virtual adventure game is ready for testing. This is a moment I've been waiting for my whole life."

* * *

**Kasumi**

* * *

Though she felt herself waking, her eyes were closed shut, still heavy with sleep. Kasumi tossed the covers off and sat on the edge of her bed. She rubbed her hands up and down her face to get the sleep off her eyes. She looked at the clock. 11 am. She felt almost guilty for waking up so late, but last night was Jericho's birthday and they had been up until the early hours of the morning drinking and playing games. Kasumi got up from bed and went to Cora's room. She wasn't there. The bed was empty and surprisingly made. Even the stuffed bear Krissa had given Cora when they first dated was sitting in his place in front of the pillows. Kasumi grimaced when she saw a picture of Krissa and Cora with a sunset behind them. It was framed in silver and there was a white rose and a candle placed in front of it. The necklace Cora bought her was hanging from ornamentation on the top of the frame.

Kasumi made a wan smile looking at the shrine Cora made for her lost love. It was still hard to fathom that Krissa in reality was a dragon. Not just any dragon. Krissa was a Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon who went rogue and stayed in this world in the human form she was given. Despite how their relationship ended and with the revelation of Krissa's actual form, Kasumi felt that Cora missed her very much.

She felt a cold breeze blowing from Cora's room and slid her hands up and down her arms. She peered inside and noticed that the curtains to the balcony were flapping around like two ghosts in the wind. Through the curtains, she saw Cora standing outside, staring at Domino City.

"Hey," Kasumi said softly.

"Hey," Cora said, not turning around to look at her.

"Honey, it's so cold out here. Why don't you come inside? I'll make us some breakfast."

Cora didn't answer for a while. "I'm not hungry."

"Is something wrong? Did you have the nightmare again."

"Yeah. I saw it again. I...I saw myself commanding a Blue-Eyes White Dragon to kill children. Children, Kasumi. I don't…I don't know what any of this means. Ever since Kori came around I keep seeing images of another person's life. Maybe it's a former life or something. But that couldn't be, right? I'm not some psychopath that commands dragons to kill children. I'm not!"

"Of course, you aren't." Despite the cold, Kasumi walked to Cora and wrapped her arms around her neck, holding her close. She then slid her hands to Cora's arms and rubbed them up and down to warm her. "You're so cold. How long have you been out here?"

Cora gave a chuckle. She picked up one of Kasumi's hands and kissed her fingers. "Maybe a little too long, I guess. But these nightmares aren't the only thing that's eating me, babe. I keep...I keep thinking about her."

"Krissa?"

"I know it didn't work out and falling in love with her so quickly was stupid but damn it all, she was someone special to me. Now more than ever after I found out she sacrificed herself to save me from the barrier. She...she saved me. Even after all the horrible things I said to her. I never had the chance to tell her I'm sorry. I was so stupid and selfish. I didn't get my way so I kicked her out of my life like a child throwing a temper tantrum. She wanted to stay friends with me. She offered me friendship and I…and I spat it back in her face." Tears streamed down her cheeks. "And despite it all, she gave her life to save me. I'm a terrible person, Kasumi."

Kasumi nuzzled Cora's shoulder then kissed it. "You and I both know that's not true. You just have a lot to learn about love, Cora. It's not a thing that can be rushed. It's not a thing that you can just push on to someone. You have to work at it. If one person builds on it more than the other, then the foundation is not structurally sound and it will all come falling apart. You can't always get what you want in life, Cora. Life doesn't always go your way, and that's okay. But what's not okay is you laying in the rubble. You have to pick up the pieces and rebuild. Rebuild and move on. If you still need some time, I can always give you some space."

Cora squeezed Kasumi's hand. "No. No it'll be alright. I am moving on but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy. At least I have you though. Despite all that's happened, being with you is like a dream come true."

Kasumi hugged Cora tightly. "I'll be there for you whenever you need me. I want things to work out between the two of us, Cora. But that's going to be hard if Krissa still haunts your memories. Cherish them, yes, but don't let them take hold of your life. Promise?"

"I promise."

"Atta girl. So, uh, want to go to the park later? It's such a beautiful day."

"I'd love to. I could sure use some air after last night."

They were about to kiss until they heard the snap of a camera. Both looked back at the room and saw M standing there with his phone up. "Aww, ain't you two a happy couple. So, the Kaiba Corp Princess and the Princess of Gō-Aki. Man, the press, and my followers, are going to eat this up so quickly."

"Kaiba Corp Princess?" Cora said. "That's so lame? Who's the ding dong who came up with that title?"

"M, really?" Kasumi said, standing in front of Cora. "Cora's barely dressed here."

M burst out laughing. "Man, you two show so much skin in your Binder pages and you're worried about decency? I love these guys. Gckkk!"

He felt something pointy poke him in the back. Korinthia was standing behind him in her pajamas, her katana in hand. "Is this pervert disturbing you, Lady Cora?"

"Whoa! Kori! Back down!" Cora yelled. "He's a friend."

"Ease up, you crazy cracker! I meant no harm!" M croaked. "Damn, girl, you're taking this bodyguard thing a little too seriously."

"After the incident on that boat, I'm afraid I must. The Kaiba family has many enemies and you can't be too careful these days. You never know who you can trust."

"Well, we trust M," said Kasumi. "Put down the sword, Korinthia. And go...go be normal for a change."

"Normal?"

"Yes, go mingle with the others or something."

"Mingle?" Kori said, making the katana dematerialize with a thought. "Very well. I will go...mingle." She turned and left.

M breathed a sigh of relief. "Woo, sure are a lotta freaks running around this joint."

"Was there something you wanted, M?" Cora asked.

"Yeah, Nixie and I are going to the park to check out some festival that's going. We thought you two love birds might wanna come along."

"Actually, we were planning on going there as well," said Kasumi. "But I didn't know there was a festival taking place."

"What's the occasion?" Cora asked.

"Nothing in particular," M replied. "Just a little event set up by Schroeder Corp."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Cora said, waving both her hands around. "Count me out, man. My dad has strong feelings against Schroeder Corp."

Kasumi laughed and kissed Cora's cheek. "Honey, who doesn't your father have strong feelings against? When last I checked he sometimes wishes you never existed."

"Yeah, go figure. He's all chummy with me on his death bed. Now that he's all better, he gives me the cold shoulder. Still, Schroeder Corp is bad news. Seto told me to steer clear from them and anything they produce. Can you imagine what the press will do if they see me anywhere near that place?"

"We could always go someplace else," Kasumi suggested.

"Naw, I'll go. You want to go to the park and that's where we're going. I'll just do my best to keep a good distance from the festival then."

"Aww, too bad," said M. "They've got rides and food over there."

"Food?" Cora said. "What kind of food."

Kasumi shook her head and waved her hand in front of Cora to wipe that mindless look she made when she thought of food. "Ugh, thinking with her stomach as usual. M, do you mind? Cora and I are going to change."

"Sure, I'm going back to the kitchen and helping myself to those tasty goldberry pancakes Candy's making."

All of a sudden Kasumi looked hungry too. The smell of Candy cooking lingered in the air for a while, but now that M mentioned it, the scent seemed stronger. "Goldberry pancakes? Well, I...uh. You know what they say. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

They entered the dining room where the group gathered around the table with plates full of food. Nixie walked in with a giant stack of pancakes for her and M to share. 

"Good heavens!" Ms. Goldwine said gazing at the gallery of provocative photos that Cora and her friends posted online. "Why are you all exposing yourselves in public?"

"It draws in a lot of views," Nixie replied. "We get two silver coins per view so it's good money."

"Did you make a Binder account, Barb? Cora asked.

"I most certainly did. Cora! Did you have to pull your pants all the way down in the grocery store like that?"

Cora chuckled as she sat down hand in hand with Kasumi. "I'm wearing panties, Ms. Goldwine."

"No! You're wearing one of those thongs! Your bottom is practically exposed!"

"You should wear one, Barbara," Kasumi said while giggling. "You'll love them."

"I couldn't possibly! Oh how social media has poisoned the minds of our youth. Especially the young ladies of this city. What have your parents to say about this?"

"Ms. Goldwine," said Madeline. "Excuse me for being nosy but aren't you Seto Kaiba's secretary? Don't you 'ave work to do for him?"

"He gave me the day off. Apparently he's working on some new virtual reality game. I just hope he doesn't go too far with that thing."

* * *

**Seto**

* * *

"Why do you have to test it out now!?" Mokuba asked as the elevator took them all the way down to the lower levels of the Kaiba Land theme park. "You just recovered from the Rosenkruz Syndrome, Seto."

"That girl, Kori, has some pretty strong magic. She has given me strength as well. I felt like running a mile after she cured me of the disease."

"Yeah, but think about the risks involved. There are a lot of hackers out there. You ever heard about those Hanoi freaks running around?"

"You're forgetting, little brother, I designed each and every program of this game myself. Do you know how long I've been waiting for this moment?" The elevator opened. "And now it's finally here!" They entered an underground bunker loaded with hi-tech equipment. At the very center was the virtual pod. "Isn't it beautiful? And it's finished at last."

Seto sat in the pod. A machine fastened him snugly against the leather seat inside. Then a helmet formed over his head, followed by a visor that slid down over his eyes. A compartment opened in the right arm of the seat. The inside of it was glowing with iridescent circuit board patterns.

"Insert dueling deck into the drive recognizer," said a synthetic female voice.

Seto reached into his coat and put the deck inside. The compartment closed. Steam hissed from underneath the seat. "All systems go," the synthetic female voice said. "Virtual screen closing."

"Get ready, Mokuba."

"Virtual screen locked," the woman said when the pod encased Kaiba inside a glass shielding.

Mokuba gripped the lever that would begin the virtual uplink. "I hope he knows what he's doing. Are you positive about this, big brother?"

"Absolutely. Now start it up!"

"Okay, then. Here goes."

"I won't be long, Mokuba," Seto promised him.

Mokuba exhaled and pulled the lever down. Seto felt himself going into a deep slumber. The next thing he knew, he was soaring across a winding tunnel with green gridding.

"This mind transport portal has been smoothed out!" Seto thought. "I can hardly feel the separation from my body. Now, the moment of truth. Lets see how the virtual world itself is!"

After a bright flash, Seto saw himself rocketing towards a forest. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, surrounded by high grass and pine trees.

"Visuals. Check. Sounds. Check." He listened to a soothing medieval soundtrack playing in his ears. "Ambience. Check." Seto didn't want to listen to it. With just a thought, a wheel interface appeared over his face. He tapped on the settings window and used the option to turn the musical ambiance off. "Interface. Check." He said. He looked at the Duel Disk mounted over his arm. The Life Point counter at the top read 8000 LP. "Life Points. Check. So far so good."

He walked across the forest and found a small village ahead. He could smell food cooking in the fire. The sound of a blacksmith at the forge disturbed the silence of the morning. The villagers, all clad in old, ragged, clothing, stopped what they were doing when they saw Seto walk into their abode. The child NPCs seemed oblivious to his coming and continued running with sticks in hand, acting like knights saving a damsel from a terrible beast.

Seto examined the NPCs behavior towards him. Their AI was perfect, making them appear life-like. Even though these people were virtual, they still seemed pretty real — Seto spared no expense to make them as alive as possible. They reacted to his strange clothing, whispering and spreading rumors across town. He approached the bounty board and saw a notice nailed all the way at the top by the mayor of the town.

_ **Reward for the Slaying of the Beast** _

_ **Hear ye! Hear ye!** _

_ **Mayor Clavicus Bluehammer, honorable mayor of the town of Rothenshire, has offered a reward of 3000 gold coins to the warrior(s) who slay the two-headed beast that lurks in the forest outside our walls. Please bring back one of its horns as proof of the creature's death in order to receive the reward.** _

"Have you come for the bounty on the monster?" asked one of the villagers. He wore a green sweater with a red coif and brown pants and old leather shoes. He smelled awful, just as Seto programmed.

"So you need a monster killed?" Seto asked. "Very well, I'll take the job."

"Honorable gods be praised," the villager said. "Yes, the two-headed monstrosity appeared not long after the folks reported sightings of that strange castle in the sky. Rumor has it that it is responsible for all these terrible monsters running about and causing havoc. Please, sir, get rid of that beast. Traders don't come here no more. So many of them have been attacked by that monster that they avoid our town at all costs. That will do us no good with the coming season. Winter is coming, sir. Me children are gonna be starving if nothing is done about that monster."

"I'm on it," said Seto. "Excellent. The quest system is working flawlessly." He left the village and entered the forest. Not long after setting foot inside, he was attacked by strange humanoid rat monsters called Burglars, who were under the command of an Ax Raider. Their attack and defense points hovered over their heads, as did health bars.

"Hand over all yer loot!" said one of the Burglars. "Or we'll gut ya where ya stand!"

"Excellent," said Seto. He held up a card. "I summon Kaiser Vorse Raider!" The card flashed and his monster appeared right in front of him. Kaiser Vorse Raider snarled, gripping his battle-ax.

"So ya wanna do this hard way, huh?" said another of the Burglars. "Let's get 'em boys!"

They jumped up high, brandishing their clawed weapons. Kaiser Vorse Raider leaped towards them and slashed them all down effortlessly. The Burglars shrieked and shattered like glass upon being defeated. Now all that was left was the Ax Raider. He and Kaiser Vorse Raider circle each other to confirm combat. Ax Raider swung his weapon as quick as a thought, but Kaiser Vorse Raider was faster by far. He held up his giant ax and blocked it, the impact created sparks and a metallic clang that rang across the forest.

Being the superior monster, Kaiser Vorse Raider pushed him back. As Ax Raider flinched, he stumbled backward. Kaiser Vorse Raider saw his chance and slashed Ax Raider in the stomach. The defeated warrior groaned and shattered.

When the monster was gone, a HUD appeared over Seto's eyes showing him his reward for defeating the Ax Raider and his gang of Burglars.

_ **1200 XP** _

_ **LEVEL UP!** _

_ **91 → 92** _

"Battle system. Check. Ha! Too easy. Let's see if this two-headed monster can prove an even greater challenge for me."

* * *

**Cora**

* * *

Though she was enticed by the smell of the food coming from the Schroeder Corp festival, Cora's devotion to her family and her father's wishes kept her from setting foot inside it. She and Kasumi walked along the lake, watching swans swimming by and couples enjoying time alone on rowboats. Cora promised Kasumi they would rent one later after she had lunch. Hand in hand, they enjoyed the scenery of the park, from its rolling hills, dense forests, and the zoo, which contained a vast collection of animals both natural and mythical.

"A unicorn!" Kasumi said, pointing at the graceful creature, galloping around its pen. "I've never seen one up close before."

"All this time in Domino and you've never been to this zoo before, babe?"

Kasumi shrugged. "I guess I've been a little too busy to do anything. The moment I learned to walk and talk, the books were shoved in my face. And then a year later I was given to Jack as a bride."

"What did your folks have to say about you punching his ass overboard?"

"I told them the story about what happened. However, my family is at war with the Ganon Family and the Termnnian Trading Company. I admit I went a little overboard in punishing him."

"There's no punishment harsh enough for a person like him," said Cora. "If you hadn't come in..." She shivered. "Forget about it. He's gone. And you have House Kaiba backing you up."

"No, I have you backing me up. If I know Seto Kaiba, and I do, he'll want no part in this. Speaking of which, how is he doing? Has he been treating you better? Warming up to you at all?"

Cora let out a sad sigh and looked up at the sky. "No. He's still the same old Seto. You know, I can't help but get the feeling he's paying for our apartment just to keep me away from him and Mokuba. From what Barbra tells me, he's been a lot happier now that I moved out of Kaiba Towers."

"Oh, I see. Well, at least he hasn't kicked you out or anything. Sure, he might have scooted you away from the house a bit, but he still acknowledges you as family."

"No. I'm still just a means to his own end. Just a way for him to get more Blue-Eyes. Uncle Mokuba told me Seto made copies of my Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon and Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon and added them to his deck. Kori and that Legendary Dragon of White she brought with her made him happy for now. Who knows how long it will be until he thirsts for something more. He's never satisfied with what he has, Kass. He always builds more and more. Reach for the stars, everyone says. Well, even when Seto reaches them, he builds an even bigger rocket to go farther. I don't know what to do anymore. There's just no pleasing him. He acknowledges what I am but he doesn't love me."

"Must be tough having him as a father."

"You have no idea. Makes me wonder why he even took me in. Yumi's lucky her dad even bothers to fix his mistakes with her. But then again, Yugi Muto is the man with the biggest heart. Well, I can't complain. It could be worse."

"A lot worse," Kasumi said. "Hey, I don't know about you, but I could really go for an ice cream right about now."

"Oh, really? Well, I'd like one too. I hope they have mint chocolate chip. It's my favorite."

"Kasumi! Baby! I found you!" A young man with an incredibly high and annoying voice shouted as he stepped towards them. He wore a red vest over a torn shirt and baggy jeans. His hair was jet black and spiked with a long ponytail at the back.

"Oh no," Kasumi said. "Not you."

The young man flexed his muscles in awkward poses. "Long time no see, eh, Kass?"

"Oof, not nearly long enough, Elias. I was hoping never to see you again."

"Ooooooo! BAM! Right here! Right here!" he pointed at his chest. "You don't mean that, do you, babe?"

"You know this weirdo?" Cora asked.

"Unfortunately, I do. He's a stalker from high school. I hope he still knows about the restraining order we put on him after that incident in the cafeteria."

Elias leaned forward with a disgusting grin on his face. "But Kass, you always say put your past behind you. I was hoping we'd let bygones be bygones, especially after what you said should your marriage with Jack fail."

"What exactly did I say?"

"You said if you and Jack ever broke up and canceled the marriage, you'd consider me as your honey bunches of oats in the future."

"I guess, but I didn't say honey bunches of —"

"—You also said I had to work on my figure." He flexed again. "Well, aren't you impressed?"

"You bulked up that's for sure but —"

"Yeah, I hit the gym a few times after you said to work on myself. And you also said I have beat you at Duel Monsters. Well, I've been working on my game as well and I'm all set to take you up on that challenge."

Kasumi blinked for a moment and placed a hand on her cheek. "Oh, wow, I did say that."

"Wow, way to bring a person's hopes up, Kass."

"It doesn't matter. I didn't think he'd actually have the fortitude to undergo the changes I told him to do. He was a skinny monster nerd back in class with a lack of personal hygiene. But you're too late, Elias. Jack's out of my life but I'm already taken."

"What? By who!" He smacked his fist against his palm. "Where is the bastard. I'll rough him up and show you what a real man looks like!"

Kasumi backed towards Cora and held her hand tightly.

"What the….you mean….you like….OOOOOOOOH YEAH!" He pointed dramatically. "Kasumi! Damn! When did you get yourself such a nice little playmate like her."

"Playmate!" Cora snapped. "Excuse me, I'm Cora Kaiba! Daughter of Seto Kaiba!"

"No way!" Jack shouted. "You're that girl everyone in the city is talking about, eh?"

"That's right."

"Well, I'm sorry to say this relationship is gonna be short-lived, Cora. Kasumi's mine."

"On what grounds?"

"Well, she's not mine yet, but once I beat her in this Duel, she will be. A promise is a promise, right, Kasumi?"

"He's right, I'm afraid. I'm a woman of my word and I must hold it. Even if the person is as repugnant as Elias. Don't worry, babe, this won't take long." She tapped the ruby on her bracelet, and it morphed into a Duel Disk.

Elias jumped and turned on his classic Duel Disk from the Battle City Tournament. "I've been waiting for this moment since the tenth grade."

"Whatever, Elias. I'll start things off."

"By all means, Princess. I wouldn't have it any other way."

**LP 8000**

**T1**

"I draw!" Kasumi said. "I activate Foolish Burial Grounds and send the spell card, Dragon Cycle of Celestial Illusions to my Graveyard. Next, I use the effect of Tenyi Dragon - AEliasa and special summon it from my hand."

The golden dragon spirit rushed out of Kasumi's Duel Disk and hovered behind her, snarling and shaking its head from left to right.

**ATK/1600 DEF/2600**

"Next, I summon Phantom Skyblaster." The winged demon appeared from a cloud of purple smoke. It flapped its scrawny blue wings and made a terrible hissing noise. "And I'll use its effect to special summon—"

"You're not summoning anything, baby! I activate Infinite Imperenance! This is a Trap Card I can play from my hand if I control no cards on my field. And it will also negate your monster's effects so no tokens for you, Kasumi. Impressed yet?"

"You must be out of your mind, Elias! I tribute Ashura to Link Summon Monk of the Tenyi!" AEliasa roared and then swirled around until it turned into a golden mist. A young monk fighter jumped out of the mist and got into a battle-ready position. When he punched the air, a golden dragon head made of flames formed over his fist.

**ATK/1000 LINK-1**

"For my next move, I banish Dragon Cycle of Celestial Illusions from my Graveyard to add Tenyi Dragon - Adhara to my hand. Then, I banish AEliasa from the grave to Special Summon, Tenyi Dragon - Nahata!"

A green mist enveloped Kasumi, growing and growing until it began to spiral toward the sky and formed a green serpentine dragon with burning yellow eyes.

**ATK/800 DEF/1000**

"Now the conditions are set. I tribute Monk of the Tenyi, Phantom Skyblaster, and Tenyi Dragon - Nahata to Link Summon, Berserker of the Tenyi!"

A portal of fire opened in front of Kasumi, then a loud roar reverberated from it. Woosh! Beserker of the Tenyi flew out and used his feet to break to a stop. "Hmmmrrrgh!" he grunted, raising his fists up.

**ATK/3000 LINK-3**

"So that's your ace, huh?" said Elias. "Ha! He doesn't look so tough."

"Do your worst, Elias! I end my turn."

**T2**

"Do my worst? If you say so, babe."

Kasumi slammed her knuckles against her hips. "Call me babe one more time!" Berserker of the Tenyi snarled at the boy, too, warning him not to disrespect her again. Though he was a Solid Vision being, he could still inflict damage on him.

Elias shrugged. "You girls these days. You just never know how to take a compliment. I draw and then I summon Yuuhi of the Souten Fists!"

He summoned a young warrior in black and red oriental clothing. He punched the air multiple times, making his fists glow in a fiery blue aura.

**ATK/1800 DEF/1000**

"Next, I activate the spell, Souten Calling. At the cost of a card in my hand, Souten Calling lets me summon as many Souten Tokens as possible and I choose four."

Four ghostly blue lions formed all around Yuuhi, filling the air with an eerie howling noise. Orbs of light trailing rainbow-hued tails floated all around them.

"Now I'm allowed to conduct a fusion summon! First, I combine Yuuhi with two of my tokens to summon the mighty Kongou, Heavenly General of the Souten!"

Yuuhi started growing taller and stronger and his black and red clothing began to turn gold and morphed into a suit of heavy armor. He punched the air, enveloping both his fists in a fiery gold aura that turned into dragon heads.

**ATK/3000 DEF/1700**

"Wow!" Cora said. "Now that's an impressive monster."

She regretted having complimented Elias's monster like that, for it seemed to stroke his ego. He placed his hands on his chin and nodded his head. "Your pretty girlfriend has a great taste in monsters, Kasumi. I will continue my turn. I offer two more Souten Tokens to Fusion Summon, Gaia of the Souten Fists."

The tokens were swallowed by red fire, which formed into another warrior clad in red and black armor. His left gauntlet was red and gold in the shape of a dragon's head.

** **

**ATK/2100 DEF/1500**

"This guy will increase the attack and defense of all my Souten monsters by 300 points. So Kongou's attack increases to 3300 and Gaia's attack goes up to 2400!"

"I can add," said Kasumi.

"Hope you can subtract, too, babe, because you're about to lose a lot of Life Points. But first, my Gaia has some business with your Berserker of the Tenyi. Go, Gaia! Show him your moves!"

"Your Gaia is still too weak to take on my Berserker, Elias. But if that's what you want to do, go on and attack."

Gaia sprinted towards Berserker of the Tenyi. The Berserker held up his armored dragonic arms and roared, then he ran towards Gaia. He punched first and Gaia blocked with his fists, causing Kasumi to feel ill.

"Is he really deflecting my Berserker's punches bare-handed? What's going on?"

"Kasumi!" Cora cried out. "This isn't a battle! Gaia's activating his effect."

"An effect!"

"Took you long enough," Elias said with a nasty grin. "When Gaia is Special Summoned, I can target one attack position monster you control and destroy it."

"What? No! I discard Ghost Mourner and Moonlight Chill, which will cancel out his effect."

"Well, I'll cancel her out with Called by the Grave! Now that your monster is in the GY I can…"

"GY? Seriously, Elias?"

"Hey, I think it sounds cool. Anyways, I can…"

"I know what Called by the Grave does. You banish my monster and its effects are negated."

"That's right, Kasumi, my love. And your Berserker of the Tenyi is toast."

Berserker of the Tenyi continued his fist fight with Gaia. They both sprung into the air and started punching one another up there. Suddenly, Gaia held up his dragon-headed gauntlet. It started glowing and was shrouded by a fiery red aura. Gaia punched Berserker of the Tenyi right in the gut. "Huuurk!" Berserker grunted, coughing up glowing red blood. He fell to the ground, landing on his back with a thunderous crash.

"No! Berserker! Are you okay?"

"Nope," said Elias. "Thanks to my monster's effect. He's toast. And so are 3300 of your Life Points. Kongou, attack her directly!"

Kongou sprinted towards Kasumi and punched her in the stomach, knocking her a few feet across the air. She landed on her back with a sick thud.

"Hey, are you okay?" Cora cried out. "My goodness, that was awful."

Kasumi picked herself up and brushed the dirt off her jeans. "I'm fine."

"Yo, there's a duel going on over there!" they heard someone shout. Cora turned and saw M, Nixie, and the others running towards them after spending some time at the festival.

"Hey, it's Kasumi and Cora!" said Madeline. "What's going on?"

"Another clueless loverboy out for Kasumi," Cora said with a shrug.

"I got you some cotton candy, Cora," Candy said, handing her the treat.

"Aww, aren't you sweet?" Cora said, patting her on the head. "Thanks, hon. I owe you."

"Who's this freak?" Jericho asked. "Can someone please knock that dumbass look off his face."

"Oh damn!" yelled Elias. "Look at all you lovely ladies." He flexed his muscles. "Kasumi, you keep some mighty fine company."

"Huh!" M said crossing his arms. "I feel like the world sees right through me when I'm with you guys."

"You done, Elias?" Kasumi asked.

"Yeah, your move, Kasumi." He ended his turn and the last Souten Token vanished.

**T3**

**Kasumi - 4700 LP**

**Elias - 8000 LP**

"I'm going to tear you apart, Elias! I draw! Now I activate the field spell, Flawless Protection of the Tenyi!"

The Tenyi Dragon Spirits flew all around Kasumi as ghostly wisps with glowing white eyes.

"Next, I special summon Tenyo Dragon - Adhara!"

**ATK/0 DEF/0**

The phantasmagoric brown dragon reared its head out of the ground and roared before flying up into the air to hover over Kasumi. But it was soon overtaken by a cybernetic grid and vanished. Kasumi used it as a tribute to Link Summon her monster, Monk of the Tenyi.

"You call that thing a fighter?" Elias laughed. "He is too weak to battle my monsters, Kasumi."

"With practice comes wisdom and strength," said Kasumi. "Since I have no effect monsters on the field, I can special summon Tenyi Dragon - Ashuna! And now, I banish Adhara from my Graveyard to add another Ashuna to my hand. And I'll banish it to Special Summon Tenyi Dragon - Vishuda!"

A shadowy wyrm rose out of Kasumi's deck and swirled over the field menacingly before it took its place beside Ashuna.

"Now I tribute Monk of the Tenyi and Tenyi Dragon - Vishuda to Link Summon, Shaman of the Tenyi!"

The monk and the wyrm both vanished into cybernetic portals. A third one opened and let out Kasumi's beautiful shaman. But she would not fight alone. The Shaman flapped her multi-colored, peacock-feather fan and summoned Monk of the Tenyi to fight by her side. But the young monk looked older and stronger.

"What's this?" asked Elias. "Did you bring back your Monk or something?"

"No, they've become one. Together my Shaman and my Monk become Draco Masters of the Tenyi!"

** **

**ATK/2600 LINK-3**

"And now since I control no effect monsters, I can destroy all effect monsters you control!"

"Hey, that's not fair!" shouted Elias. "Time out!"

The Draco Masters combined their powers together and summoned a golden flaming dragon that soared towards the Souten fighters. They both screamed and shattered to pieces.

"NO! MY FIGHTERS! Well, when my Souten monsters are destroyed, I can add Yuuhi back to my hand."

"For what good that will do you. Draco Fighters, attack him directly!"

Shaman of the Tenyi tapped Monk of the Tenyi on his shoulder and nodded. He held up his fists and charged towards Elias. He punched him twice in the stomach and once more in the face, knocking him backward.

"OH! NOT THE FACE! NOT THE FACE!" he shouted.

"I end my turn, Elias. Your move."

"Way to go, Kasumi!" cheered Candy. "Yay!"

**T4**

**Elias - 5400 LP**

**Kasumi 4700 LP**

"I draw. Here goes something!" He picked up the card. "Yeah! First I summon Yuuhi of the Souten Fists. And now, Souten Calling!"

"Oh, not these guys again!" Kasumi grunted.

He repeated the process until Gaia and Kongou were back on the field. Again, Gaia used his effect and destroyed the Draco Fighters of the Tenyi, leaving Kasumi wide open again. She braced herself and held her arms up over her face as Kongou soared towards her and punched her once more. Kasumi was knocked back and she rolled to a stop at Cora's feet.

"Damn, girl, you okay!" M cried.

"I'm fine," Kasumi said, struggling to get up. Cora ran to her and picked her up by her arm. "Thanks, I got this, don't worry." She kissed Cora on the cheek and patted it. "I'll be all right."

"I sure hope so. You've got no cards in your hand so it's all up to this next draw."

"Not necessarily," Kasumi said with a wink. "Let me finish this guy off and we can continue on with our afternoon."

"Right, go do what you gotta do, Kass. I'm right behind you." She smacked Kasumi's bottom and stepped back, much to the chagrin of Elias.

"Hey! Hands off my girl!" he shouted.

"I'm not yours and I never will be, Elias. No wonder everybody picked on you at school so much. Your overgrown ego really annoyed the hell out of everyone. You can change your looks, have the physique of a god, hell, you may even beat me today. But you're still the same nuisance you were back in school, thinking you're all that because you flash your mommy's around."

"Hey!"

"Shut up and take your defeat like a man! I draw!"

**T5**

Kasumi smiled. "All right. Here goes."

"Remember what Master Yugi taught us, Kasumi," Cora said. "Believe in your deck. Trust in the Heart of the Cards."

"Right. Let's see what my faith can help me cook up." She drew her card and smiled again, sending a chill up Elias's spine. "I Special Summon Tenyi Dragon-Adhara and use him to Link Summon Monk of the Tenyi."

"That little novice again? Come on Kasumi, I know you can do better than that."

"I can and I will. Just shut up and let me play! I'm banishing Tenyi Dragon - Vishuda from the graveyard to send your Kongou back to the Extra Deck."

"What!" Elias shouted. He turned around and saw the shadowy wyrm slither out of a dark gate. It wrapped its coils around Kongou and dragged him into the gate. "Oh no! No! My monster!"

"I'm not through yet, Elias. I banish Ashuna to Special Summon, Tenyi Dragon - Mapura! Next, I banish Adhara from the graveyard to add Ashuna back to my hand. Then, I tribute my Monk of the Tenyi and Mapura to Link Summon, Shaman of the Tenyi!"

"She's back!" Elias shouted in shock, watching the graceful shaman dance out of a column of flames.

"Damn right she's back. Now I discard Ashara from my hand to use my Shaman's effect. I bring back the Draco Fighters of the Tenyi! Now the conditions are right for the final Link Summon. I tribute Shaman and Draco Fighters to Link Summon, Tenyi Dragon Sahasrara!"

The fighters of Tenyi all vanished and then a beautiful golden dragon materialized from a flash of bright light. Its gilded tendrils flapped fiercely in the afternoon wind along with the white cloth that it had wrapped on parts of its body.

** **

**ATK/3000 LINK-4**

"Whoa, that's….that's a big dragon!" Elias said with a gulp.

"And it comes with lots of goodies that are going to ruin your day. For instance, I can select one of your monsters, like your Gaia, and create a Tenyi Spirit Token, who will have the same attack as your monster."

A green phantom copy of Sahasrara appeared next to the real beast, letting out an eerie wail as it manifested on the field.

**ATK/2100 DEF/0**

"First, I'll rid the field of Gaia! Attack him Sahasrara!"

The dragon heeded her call and bathed the Souten warrior in a bath of white and gold flames. Then the token attacked Elias directly, dropping his Life Points to 2400. He drew on his next turn and summoned Yuuhi of the Souten Fists in attack mode.

"I'm clearly not ready to have you." He bowed. "Kasumi, strike the final blow and finish me off."

Kasumi didn't even think twice about it. She commanded the Spirit Token to attack Yuuhi. When he was gone and only his ashes remained, Sahasrara was next to strike. The wyrm breathed in heavily and exhaled a jet of fire, forcing Elias on his knees. He punched the ground in defeat. "You'll be mine one day!" he shouted. "You'll see!" he darted off into the park and vanished into the forest.

"What's his deal?" Jericho asked.

"Men," Madeline scoffed. "Zey think we are just trinkets to be claimed."

"Hey..." M groaned.

Madeline went red in the face. "Oh, excusé mua, not you, M. You're a gentleman, of course."

"Wait!" Candy called, running into the forest. "Come back, Elias!"

Her running off without a word left everyone dazed. Cora scratched the back of her head. "Uh...you wouldn't think Candy..."

"Nah!" everyone said.

"Oh, zere is a commotion coming over zere by ze fountain."

Cora saw a crowd gathering right by the railing. It wasn't a small gathering either. There was a large body of people amassing something of great importance. "What do you suppose that is?" Cora asked. She hurried toward the fountain to see what all the brouhaha was all about. "WOW!" she gasped when she saw the most beautiful young woman she had ever seen. She was standing in front of the fountain licking on two scoops of vanilla ice cream on a cone. She wore a white blazer and a white skirt accented with two black lines at the center. A white beret fit snugly on her head, with a river of floor-length blonde hair flowing down like a waterfall of shiny silk. Her eyes were like diamonds, a sign of her Norman heritage. There was a tall Leogai knight standing not far behind her with his arms crossed. He wore white and gold scaled armor and a mask shaped like a roaring lion covered his face, save for his gold-plated fangs, which hung past his chin. His wild mane waved in the breeze and he carried a sword as tall as a man. Beside him was a young man in scaled emerald armor trimmed with gold and covered with jewels.

But Cora paid no attention to them. Her eyes were locked on the girl. She felt weak at the knees with every passing second. "Wow...oh wow...oh wow. She's gorgeous!"

"Will you relax!" Kasumi said. "She's just a girl."

"No..." Madeline croaked. "No, she's not. That's Avi the Summoner of Dragons. Goddesses above! I am not worthy!" She knelt down and prayed.

"Wait? She is?" Kasumi asked. She took a better look at her. "Wow! That is her!"

"The Summoner of Dragons?" Cora whispered. "My dad met her once. Ugh, too bad he never took me to see. Oooh, if that skirt was just a bit shorter..."

"Cora, you pervert, come on!" Kasumi snapped. "Show some respect will you? She is the Summoner of Dragons after all. Geez, even she's not safe from your lust."

Madeline gasped. "Oh, Safaani's Grace! Look! Zat's one of her guardians, Ser Gerhalos!"

"Is Ser Damien with her!?" Jericho swooned, clasping her hands together. "Is he? Is he? I can't see!"

"If your knight runs around in jeweled emerald armor, then that's probably him," said Cora.

"Damn, Nixie, that's her!" M said. "She's an angel." He whistled.

Nixie snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Ugh, snap out of it, will you? So she can summon a bunch of dragons. Big whoop."

"It's a big deal all right."

"Your Highness!" M shouted. He bowed when he saw he was in Alexis's presence.

"Oh, Princess," Cora said. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Eh, there's lots of stuff around Domino that needs doing," she said. "Domino, unfortunately, is a city with lots of crooks."

"You're not doing late-night vigilante work, are you, Princess?" Kasumi asked.

Alexis blushed. "Who? Me? No, never! I just got saved from being kidnapped a few months ago. Why would I put myself in danger again? Besides, I heard Lady Avi was in town and I had to come see. As I said, you should show her a little more respect. She bitch-slapped King Forrest back to Naralia and ended the border wars going on up there. As a final middle finger to Naralia, she had her knights execute the Baron appointed by Forrest, and ordered his head mounted on the gate of the town wall. Not too long after that, she became the new Duchess of Aragorn. Not to mention she's the first person in thousands of years to summon dragons. She's become a symbol of hope, almost as much as Prince Yuri is. She is a sign of good times and everlasting peace."

All of a sudden they saw Kaito approaching the Summoner with a little robot hovering above him. Ser Gerhalos held out his hand. "Halt!" he shouted.

"Let me through. I am the one Master Yugi sent."

"So you're you Kaito Tenjo, then?" Ser Gerhalos asked. "Yugi Muto spoke very highly of you. But how can we be sure you're him?"

Kaito reached into his jacket and pulled out his deck, showing him the bottom card.

"Satisfied?" asked the robot, who was called Orbital 7.

"That's Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon," said Ser Damien. "There's only a couple of people around here who wield that monster. He's our boy alright. It's about time, we've been expecting you." He whistled through his teeth. "Avi. He's here."

Avi turned around and smiled at the boy, beckoning him forward with a swing of her head. Kaito walked up to her and merely gave a nod of his head. Bowing was not something he liked to do. "My Lady," he said.

"So you're the Photon Knight. Ser Kaito. I'm so pleased to meet you."

"Likewise. I apologize, but I must keep this brief. I've come for the cards."

"My Galaxy-Eyes cards?"

"Yes. They belong to someone else. Someone like you."

"I understand." Avi reached for the deck, which was inside the pocket of her blazer. "Such a shame. I was getting used to them. Huh. They were starting to grow on me. These dragons are what broke me from the chains of a terrible bondage."

"I understand, but if what I heard about this Duelist is true, you might be seeing them again soon. I promise."

"Master Yugi told me about her before I departed for Feldia."

"Ah, yes. I heard you're looking for the Dragon Rulers. Who have you found so far?"

Avi giggled. "All of them."

Kaito backed away in shock. "Wow! In such a short amount of time? You really are someone special, Avellana. Try not to get killed out there, will you?"

"Death has come to me in many forms, Ser Kaito. I assure you, I've beaten it time and time again. If anything, I have become death. Especially towards the enemies of the Crown."

"Right. Well, I know how much these dragons mean to you, my lady, but I'm going to have to ask that you relinquish them so I can get my own quest started."

Avi placed them in his palm. "Very well. See that they are well taken care of. Those dragons...hold a special place in my heart."

"They'll be in good hands, I assure you."

"Summoner of Dragons!" someone in the crowd shouted. Another young man pushed and shoved his way to the front of the crowd. From the moment she saw him, Cora felt that this person did not come here with good intentions. Especially with a getup like that. A red leather coat with a high white feather collar. He wore an iron mask over his eyes and his black and blonde hair was spiked, pointing upward. "I've found you at last."

"What business do you have with the Summoner of Dragons?" Ser Gerhalos shouted. "Speak quickly!"

The young man ignored him and pointed at Avi with his glove-colored hand. "I challenge you to a battle! Summoner versus Summoner."

Cora couldn't believe what he just said. "Say what!" Who was he to just barge through the crowd and aggressively challenge the Summoner of Dragons like that? Everyone in the crowd whispered and pointed at him.

"Lady Avi doesn't have time for these games!" shouted Ser Gerhalos. "Begone!"

"No. This won't take long," Avi said, holding up her hand to silence him.

"But Lady Avi."

"I will say no more, be silent, Ser Gerhalos. May I ask what your name is? And why did you come looking for me?"

"My name is Vice. And isn't it obvious? Every Summoner in Termnnia wants a piece of you. But I require more than just adding you as another notch to my belt, Dragon Summoner. I ask that you bless me with the Kiss of the Dragon Goddess!"

"Fool!" shouted Ser Gerhalos. "Who are you to ask such a thing? The Kiss is a sacred gift given only to those a Dragon Summoner deems worthy. I can see right through you boy. There is a lot of anger, hate, and jealousy in your heart. You are not worthy of the gift."

"What's the Kiss of the Dragon Goddess?" Cora asked.

"It's a rare and powerful gift that can only be given by Dragon Summoners," Alexis answered. "If you're lucky enough to receive the gift, you are allowed to summon a True Dragon for forty-eight hours."

"No way! Really? Damn, talk about power!"

"You think I'm not worthy!" shouted the Vice. "I AM worthy! More worthy than the last fool you gave the kiss to."

"Who?" Ser Damien asked. "Avi, you used the kiss on someone?"

"Yes, she did," said Vice. "Some ex-knight named Chazz Princeton. I heard about how he saved Lady Avi from bandits while walking the roads of Thara. She blessed him with the gift as thanks. But the kiss is supposed to work for forty-eight hours, yet Chazz now has a permanent companion in the form of Armed Dragon Level 10 walking by his side."

"What do you mean permanent?" Avi asked. "Please explain."

"What? Do you want me to spell it out for you? The dragon has been by his side for months! It hasn't been relinquished back to the world it came from. It evolved under his command into the beast it is now. I want that power Avi."

Avi rubbed her chin. "So the dragon found a way to break the strings of the spell and stay here with Ser Chazz? Interesting. I knew there was something special about him."

"Perhaps it was the way you gave him the Kiss of the Dragon Goddess," said Vice. "I read that it is applied with a magic touch of the Summoner's finger. But you...how did you do it?"

Avi placed her hand on her cheek and blushed. "You mean I was supposed to give the kiss with just a touch of my finger?"

"Avi!" snapped Ser Gerhalos. "You didn't actually think the Kiss of the Dragon Summoner was actually given by a kiss did you?"

"I uh..."

The crowd laughed at her.

Vice sneered. "Yeah. So it is true. They say you actually kissed Chazz right on the lips. Perhaps that is what gave his dragon the power to be in this world. I want that power, Summoner. If I win, you have to give me the kiss. And you must do it the same way you did Chazz."

"Ew!" said Alexis. "I don't know what's more shocking here. The fact that Chazz is running around out there with a True Dragon or the fact that this girl actually kissed him. She must have been really grateful."

"So what say you, Avi!"

"I'll be more than happy to take you on."

"Fine. And is it okay with you that we battle with three Eidolons each?"

"You sure about that?" Avi said.

"Three is all I need to take you down."

Ser Gerhalos shook his head. "Arrogant fool. He doesn't know what he's gotten himself into." He tapped a jewel on his gauntlet, forming a barrier over Avi and Vice, trapping them inside.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Summoner!" Vice growled. He held up his palm and conjured a blood-red staff. He placed a shiny jewel in one of the slots and shouted: "Star Battle Knight Equelculs! Go!" Light slithered out of his staff and then it formed into a centaurian knight covered from head to hoove in platinum armor. Red jewels were set in the middle of each piece of his armor set and enveloped in golden sun designs. He waved his sword around, creating a trail of glitter with each movement.

Avi materialized her white jeweled staff and spun it around. "I call on you, Sanctity of Dragons!" An arcane circle formed above the park in the sky. Sanctity of Dragons broke right through it and landed behind Avi, causing her skirt and hair to wave around in the breeze it made.

"Oh my!" Cora gasped. "A real-live True Dragon! They really have returned, haven't they?"

"Seems so," said Alexis.

"Equelculs! Attack her dragon now with your shining blade!" The centaur knight reared up on his hind legs and galloped towards Sanctity of Dragons. The knight raised his sword and the dragon held up his wing to shield him from the attack. Upon impact, the sword shattered like glass.

"Aahhh!" Vice gasped.

"Did you see that!" M yelled. "It just broke upon impact."

Sanctity of Dragons took flight and then showered the knight in a column of fire. The knight's health deteriorated in seconds and he turned into orbs of light, returning to the staff.

"I wasn't expecting them to be this strong," Vice said. "All right, let's see how you handle this. Super King Rex! I summon thee!" He spun his staff around, conjuring all the mana he had inside of him to summon the giant prehistoric monster. It was a horned Tyrannosaurus with jewels popping up from its body. "Attack her dragon, now! Show no mercy!"

Super King Rex roared, his eyes flashing bright red as he put himself into a berserk fury. It shot fire from its mouth and then Sanctity of Dragons blew it all away with a flap of his wings. Super King Rex cared not and charged towards the dragon, hoping to get a grip at its neck. Sanctity of Dragons slapped him away with his tail, knocking the dinosaur against the walls of the barrier.

"Get up! Fight!" shouted Vice.

Super King Rex stood up and ran towards Avi's dragon. It was a tough beast, so Sanctity of Dragons thought to take it out with a red laser beam from its chest. It struck Super King Rex right on the head. The dinosaur flipped end over end, shaking the ground until it came to a stop. Vice said nothing and stared at his fallen monster as it turned into orbs of light that soared into the air and vanished.

"I see that continuing on is futile," he said. "I underestimated you and I paid the price."

"So it seems," said Avi. "Don't tell me you're giving up now after all that talk."

"No. If anything I should thank you. I'm not ready to call on a dragon. Not if I can't defeat you. These Eidolons are the best ones I have. I've trained with them rigorously for years ever since I was a little kid. They usually end up otk-ing my opponents. But I guess I'm not as strong as I think I am if I cannot best even one of your beasts."

"So you forfeit?"

"I have no other option. I'd rather admit defeat than to see my monster get beaten to a pulp again."

"I see you care for your monsters. That's good."

"Care? I think you have me mistaken. I only care about winning. And in order to win, I have to push my Eidolons even farther. It's the only way I can prove that I'm the best and claim the position of the High King's Royal Summoner. I understand that it's a position all ready for you, yes?"

"That's right."

"Well, don't get overconfident, Avi. If there's one thing I've learned today, it's that there's always a better Summoner out there. Lady Arietta sure proved that, didn't she?"

"She won't get the best of me again, I assure you."

"I'll bet. Well wishes for your journey."

"You as well. I do hope we can battle again someday."

"Hmph. Next time we battle, you're going to regret that wish. Farwell, Summoner." The crowd parted to let him through.

"Well...that just happened," Cora said.

Alexis gave a shrug as she watched Vice walk away. "At least I know how Chazz is doing. I was hoping he didn't take me releasing him from my service too hard."

"What happened?"

Alexis wrinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes in disgust. "Let's just say he has tactics that I deem way too brutal for my taste. He's relentless; borderline criminal if you ask me. So I let him go. When I told him that, I didn't think he'd take it so hard. He went mad and slaughtered dozens of bandit camps in a rage leading to a forest fire near the Carpathia Mountains. But that was months ago and I never heard a word from him since then. I guess he's okay if he has a giant dragon following him around but that just leaves me even more worried. What kind of destruction will those two cause together?"

"If he does cause a ruckus, we'll know about it," said Kasumi. "An Armed Dragon Level Ten is a hard thing to miss, don't you think."

"I guess," said Alexis. "Hey, Cora, what are you up to later?"

"Dunno. You busy?"

"Not at all."

"Well, why don't we head back to my place and hang out? You like pizza? We have like six pies from last night's party that we have to finish."

"Sounds good to me. Lead the way."

* * *

**Seto**

* * *

Kaiser Vorse Raider sliced through a horde of Lizard Soldiers that were guarding the domain of the two-headed beast that was causing everyone such terrible misery. The screams of the reptilian monsters rang around the forest in a choir of death.

"That should be the last of them," he said. He examined the Lizard Soldiers' campsite. He noticed large footprints near the edge of the camp. He followed them and found a pile of cattle bones with strings of meat hanging from them. There were hundreds of them dotting the forest with red and white. "Just like I programmed," Seto said. "I should be close to the monster's location."

All of a sudden, the earth shook. Birds took off into the sky with fright, screeching in horror as they fled from the monstrosity coming towards the clearing where Seto stood. He stood where he was and watched as a Two-Headed King Rex loomed over the tops of the pine trees. The beast snarled in anger upon seeing its mercenaries were defeated by Kaiba and his Kaiser Vorse Raider.

"I'm going to need a bigger monster to fight this battle! Kaiser Vorse Raider, return! Now, I summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Light flashed from his card and then the beast flew out from behind Seto. It gave off its iconic metallic roar at the Two-Headed King Rex. "Destroy it now!" Seto shouted. "White Lightning!"

Blue-Eyes White Dragon spread its jaws wide open and fired a powerful beam at Two-Headed King Rex's chest. The monster shattered into a thousand tiny pieces and was gone.

"Hmph, that takes care of that." Suddenly, his keen eyes spotted a shadow darting across the tops of the pine trees. "What was that?" The shadow ran in circles around Seto before finally revealing itself. It threw a Trap Card at him. "The Armed Ninja!" he shouted. "I didn't design this into the game? What's going on? Blue-Eyes, attack!"

The dragon fired its White Lightning attack but it missed. The Ninja was too fast. The blast hit the ground and the Trap Card took full form. A golden jar with a smiling dragon's mouth on the front. "A Dragon Capture Jar!" Seto cried.

The enchanted jar sucked in his Blue-Eyes like a vacuum and locked the beast inside. "NO! Someone must have reprogramed the game's combat protocols!" The Armed Ninja showed himself and threw a net at Seto, capturing him.

* * *

**Mokuba**

* * *

Seto screamed as his virtual pod sparked and flashed out of control. "Big brother!" Mokuba shouted. "No! Something must have gone wrong! Seto! Seto!" The flashing died down and Seto's head rolled to the right. He was out cold. Mokuba ran from the control booth toward the pod and opened the shield. "Big brother! Are you okay? Speak to me."

"Your brother's obsession with technology was always his downfall."

"Who said that?" Mokuba asked.

"He should have heeded your warning, little Mokuba. But now it's too late. Thanks to a few technical modifications we've made, his mind is confined within his own game. With him out of the way, the law that could neuter our power will not be given to the king and we can proceed with our plans into turning Domino and all of Eredas into a holy city of righteousness!"

"Oh no! It's the Church of Yeyu!" Mokuba shouted.

Suddenly the doors to the lab were sealed shut with green iron plates. He was trapped. "Our security guards are on their way to contain you. And with you as our prisoner, there's no one left to stand in our way of taking over Kaiba Corp."

"Big brother..." Mokuba whispered.

Someone banged on the doors. "Sir, we're here to secure the package. Open the doors now."

"Oh no," Mokuba said. This can't be happening. This isn't happening. What an I going to do?"


End file.
